CD-R Explained

Create your own music and data CDs on your Amiga with our simple guide.

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Reviewed: Interviewed:Interviewed: We guide fxPaintfxPaint Bill McEwen you through BurnIT Tutorials: choosing and MakeCD CD Writing preparing a new MasterISO VGA to PAL Project AmiTradeCenter Back to Basics: Shell hard drive. Wildfire 7 PPC Cinema 4D WipeOut 2097 Grand TV Amazing CONTENTS CONTENTS

income so knock it off guys! If you want By to purchase such items as hard drives Contents Editor Robert Williams etc, then just shop around and get a good deal, but I would recommend that Only room for a very short editorial this must go to Bob you join your local Amiga user group so News issue, and now some more good news: Tiffen for his ex- that they can advise you on compatibility tensive Cinema4D SEAL Update ...... 3 Suffice to say that the news from the St. issues should they arise. tutorial. News Items ...... 4 Louis show is very interesting, with Bill Question 6 are you sure? The software Update Amiga Update ...... 10 McEwan’s talk to the user group Finally, if you’re on that comes out on the Amiga I believe is representatives being particularly the ‘net and want very well priced considering how many The rest of the AGM was spent discuss- relevant to current Amiga users. If to keep up to date with our progress on Web Site Features copies of the application or game that ing the future of SEAL, some of the Amiga do all the things he mentions Clubbed please join our clubbed- they are likely to sell, most people that I The SEAL website has recently been activities suggested for the future were: Interview with Bill McEwen ...... 11 there (including supporting user groups announce mailing list, information inside know who have Pc’s haven’t paid a moved onto a new server. If you use CD-R Explained ...... 12 and PPC hardware companies), they will the back cover. • Fund raisers (raffles etc.) single penny for 95% of the software SEAL’s new address: be a long way to winning the support of • SEAL Sale Enjoy the mag and I look forward to that is sitting on their hard drives and http://www.seal-amiga.co.uk/ this Amigan and I’m sure many others. the change will not effect you. However • Tutorial videos (hardware and soft- Reviews meeting some subscribers at the why you ask, well the bottom line is that ware) Demos and Tutorials I hope you’ll enjoy the increase in tutor- Kickstart Show in May. piracy is so rife on the PC it is out of if you use one of our older addresses BurnIT ...... 16 you may get either a redirection page or • Amiga celebrity guests MakeCD...... 17 ial content for this issue, special thanks control, no sooner than a game or appli- • Inter-usergroup activities cation is released then it is copied and a “Not Found” error so please check MasterISO...... 19 • Beginners Workshops distributed! But unlike the Amiga even your hotlist is up to date. fxPAINT...... 20 By • Social Activities Mick Sutton though the colossal amount of piracy AmiTradeCenter...... 23 Chairman going on, it will not cause the failure of EMail Addresses Meetings Wild Fire 7...... 24 This quarter I would like to talk about the item is not the platform single handed due to the SEAL is now able to provide its Since the AGM, we have been making WipeOut 2097...... 26 Amiga hardware and software dealers, faulty when I know fact that nearly every business out there members with a username@seal- an effort to have an activity, such as a Grand TV Amazing ...... 28 as the subject of value for money and it is? has Pc’s with legitimate software on it amiga.co.uk EMail address, you can tutorial or demonstration at every other service quality seems to be a point of Ok then lets try and that means large volumes of soft- choose any username you like and meeting. These have included interest to our club members, at most of Support and answer them ware is still being sold. EMail sent to that address will be auto- demonstrations of fxPaint and our meetings. People are always ap- in order, the first, Question 6 is an awkward one to answer matically forwarded to your real EMail Photogenics 4 and a round-up of three VGA to PAL Project ...... 29 proaching me and asking why things second and third address. Please ask Gary Storm for useful utilities. The utilities round-up was Hard Drivin’ ...... 30 cost so much money, when it has any- as there are two sides to the coin here, questions all have a pretty similar more details of this service. particularly interesting as several Back to Basics: The Shell...... 32 thing to do with the Amiga. if you buy an item and try it in your answer. Nearly all Amiga hardware Amiga and it doesn’t work then send it members had their own suggestions of Cinema 4D Tutorial ...... 34 Several SEAL addresses have already Well, I am not here to defend the devices are not mass produced generic back with the statement “oh it doesn’t changed to the new domain, the most programs they couldn’t live without. Cinema 4D for Beginners ...... 38 “Amiga” dealers nor am I here as a items, by that I mean you won’t find work I want my money back” one of two important changes to remember are the Hopefully they will feel inspired to dem- spokesperson for all Amiga users, but I them inside a PC anywhere and there- things can happen, 1 the dealer checks club address (for general club informa- onstrate their choices in the future. Back Issues ...... 39 can see that there are two sides to every fore it has had to be designed, devel- the item finds it faulty and agrees to tion) which is now seal@seal- Another feature that was suggested at Next Issue...... 39 coin, and I shall try and make sense of it oped and tested by someone (not for refund your money or send another, or 2 amiga.co.uk and the magazine address the AGM was beginner’s tutorials, in fact Gallery...... 40 from both perspectives. free) and a machine has to be specifi- the item is checked by the dealer who which is [email protected]. the committee was already planning to cally tooled up for quite a limited produc- start these. To help with these tutorials A typical member of SEAL will ask me discovers that there is nothing wrong tion run. Also the individual components with it! SEAL has purchased an A1200, the following questions. AGM on the device are usually not industry Blizzard 1230 accelerator and 8833MkII The fact is many items that are returned 1. Why do “Amiga dealers” sell ac- standard and therefore are higher cost SEAL held its Annual General Meeting monitor so a basic system will always be Do The celerator cards for the price they do to purchase in the first place. That com- to dealers are themselves working fine in February, we had an excellent turn available at meetings. when PC dealers sell whole PC systems bined with the fact that only low but when combined with a certain con- out with about 25 of our 30 plus figuration of say motherboard or other for less? numbers of units will be sold (probably members present. SEAL Sale devices then it will not work correctly only thousands at best) the final cost of The meeting started with Mick Sutton 2. Why are graphics cards for the (Apollo accelerators are one thing that We are planning to hold an Amiga event any boards will be quite high, it cannot giving a summary of SEAL’s finances Amiga so expensive when the latest comes to mind). Also quite a few work- in the next few months, currently we are be avoided (look what happened to and Robert Williams outlining Clubbed’s Thing turbo nutter bastard super duper 3D bench “hacks” tend to create problems working towards an early September Phase5), I’m afraid we are stuck with it finances and progress. Committee elec- Write card for the PC cost so little? by doing things in an OS unfriendly way date. The sale will take place on a unless the Amiga has a sudden rise in tions were then held. Mick Sutton, Sunday at SEAL’s meeting venue: We’d like to make Clubbed more “in- (get OS 3.5 to get your system up to a 3. Why do motherboard add-ons (clock popularity. Robert Williams, Gary Storm and Jeff Northlands Park Community Centre, teractive” so we need your input! decent running environment) and can header devices, scan doublers, IDE Martin were re-elected to their positions Question 4 is interesting because I can cause conflicts. What I suggest is that if Basildon. We will be hiring the whole buffered interfaces etc..) cost so much? of Chairman and treasurer, Vice Got a question you’d like answered see no reason why any of the items you can try the “Faulty” item in another building for the day, this should give Chairman and magazine editor, or an opinion you’d like to share? 4. Why are generic devices such as listed should cost any more than at other Amiga with for example a different plenty of room for exhibitors and activi- Promotions Officer and Committee Write to us and we’ll include it in a CD-ROM’s, hard drives, CDRW’s, Zip dealers, maybe they are trying to bump revision of motherboard or in the case of ties. Amiga dealers and other user Member respectively. Sadly committee letters page. drives & digital cameras so expensive up their profits to subsidise the low an accelerator a few different memory groups will be invited to exhibit and we member Martin Miller has left SEAL, plan to have activities such as games Got a tip for other readers or even an when bought from “Amiga” dealers com- profits on other items, or maybe they SIMMS. If you cant do the above be- however we were pleased to welcome competitions, software and hardware article up your sleeve? Send it in and pared to PC dealers? think that they have us at there mercy, cause you don’t know anyone else with Roy Burton who was elected to fill the demonstrations and much more, so you could very well see your name in as some people think that they are the an Amiga, then the best thing for you to 5. Why does software on the Amiga vacant position. only dealers to sell “Amiga compatible” do is join an Amiga user group, there is there will be plenty to see and do. By print. cost so much, all my PC friends hardly hardware, but if that is the case it just one that springs to mind...! We also agreed that committee only the next issue of Clubbed (planned for Got a suggestion or comment on the pay any thing? isn’t on is it? Most of these dealers sell meetings would be held several times a early August) we will have full details, in magazine? Let us know and we’ll try 6. Why when I have sent something stuff for Pc’s as well, so they are not year to allow committee members to the mean time announcements will be and make Clubbed better for you. back, do the dealers argue with me that relying on the Amiga exclusively for their plan ahead. posted on the SEAL website. 2 CLUBBED - Issue 5 Spring 2000 3 NEWS NEWS Clubbed.info Vaporware News Miami Deluxe Clubbed is published quarterly by South Essex Amiga Link. For subscription details Vapor have been busy enhancing their file. Although Voyager’s plug-in doesn’t Released see the back page. suite of Internet software yet again, im- support the very latest version it does Holger Kruse has released the full ver- Editor: Robert Williams provements include: work extremely well and takes advan- sion of Miami Deluxe, the more fully Design: Robert Williams tage of PPC (PowerUP) if it is present. featured version of his widely acclaimed Contributors: Voyager 3.2 Miami TCP/IP stack. The Deluxe version Robert Davis Metal Web 4 mainly adds support for more complex Gary Storm Voyager is going from strength to networks, it allows multiple interfaces so Mick Sutton strength with support for FONT FACE, After a number of public betas the final Robert Tiffen HTTP file uploads (useful for web-based version of Vapor’s visual web design for example, your Amiga can be con- Proof Reading: EMail services etc.) and FBlit support to package has been released. Metal Web AmigaOS running on PPC in 2000? nected to the Internet and an Ethernet network at the same time. Built-in NAT Sharon Sutton speed up image display on AGA offers full visual page creation including A group of well known Amiga program- highspeed (40Mb/s) Ram Disk. (Network Address Translation) allows all Cover Art: Robert Williams machines all added since the Christmas tables and frames. It also includes the mers including Ralph Schmidt (who • CD-ROM File System. the machines on a network to seam- Contact Us release of Voyager 3. The program has ability to view and edit the created wrote the software for Phase 5's Picture, GIF, ILBM, PBM, and PCX lessly access the Internet through one also had many im- HTML source within the PowerUP boards) and Frank Mariak (the datatypes. If you have any queries suggestions or connection and a firewall ensures want to contact us for any reason please provements and bug program and to test chief author of CyberGraphX) have • Plus the many PowerUP that ap- security. use one of the following: fixes to existing pages in an external announced they are working on a new plications already run, usually with an EMail: [email protected] features in that time, browser. operating system which is designed to increase in speed. including better SSL WWW: http://www.seal-amiga.co.uk/ AmIRC 3.4 allow the existing AmigaOS to be Post: Clubbed, support, fixed gradually ported to PPC while retaining MorphOS has already gained some sup- 26 Wincoat Drive, TurboPrint printing and Widely considered the much backwards compatibility. The new port with some developers who plan to BENFLEET, improved PNG support. best Amiga IRC client OS is called MorphOS. port applications including: Essex, SS7 5AH, However the jewels in and by some the best ENGLAND. Voyager’s crown are its on any Platform AmIRC Currently MorphOS runs on the existing • PPC native Magic User Interface (this Telephone: +44 (0) 1268 569937 Phase 5 PowerUP 68K/PPC ac- should speed up all MUI programs plug-ins, so far two is still being regularly Miami Deluxe continues Miami’s tradi- (19:00 - 22:00 GMT only please). celerators but the 68k CPU is not used running on MorphOS). have been released, a updated. Version 3.4 tion of being easy to setup and uses the at all. AmigaOS is run on a 68k emula- • Vaporware are interested in porting Only Amiga Made it Possible Shockwave Flash ren- offers a new tabbed MiamiInit configuration tool. Version 1.0 tion developed by Ralph Schmidt and their portfolio of Internet applications Clubbed is designed and laid out using: derer and a PDF viewer. window mode to keep control of multiple comes with extensive Amiga Guide various modules (programs, libraries, including Genesis which will give Hardware: IRC sessions without too many documentation including tutorials on set- The Flash plug-in is particularly impres- device drivers) can then be ported to MorphOS a TCP/IP stack. Amiga 3000 windows. ting up common configurations. Miami CyberStorm PPC/060 sive as it allows Amiga users to ex- PPC, as more modules are ported per- • Titan will support MorphOS with Deluxe has been in Beta test for over a CyberVision PPC perience Flash enhanced websites for Most of Vaporware’s software is in- formance should increase and we move BurnIT, Elastic Dreams, Fantastic year so I think it is safe to say it is pretty 64Mb RAM, about 8Gb HDD space. the first time. Flash is an interactive cluded in the Netconnect 3 package towards a 100% PPC Amiga OS. In a Dreams and Candy Factory. bug free. Software: animation format developed by which is now distributed by Eyetech at recent press release the MorphOS team PageStream 3 by Softlogik Macromedia, it allows web designers to £49.95, we have a full review of the state that most system friendly 68k pro- MorphOS is designed to be portable and Miami Deluxe costs 60USD (about ImageFX 4 by Nova Design create much more complex interactive latest version lined up for issue 6. grams should run as will existing the authors have already commented 38UKP), a secure on-line registration Photogenics 4 by Paul Nolan websites. Because it uses a largely Final Writer by Softwood Individual programs can be registered at PowerUP PPC software and of course favourably on the possibility of porting it program is included in the archive, it can vector format a very complex presenta- http://www.vapor.com/ which has secure There are also some essential utilities we any new PPC programs. to Amijoe and other PPC platforms. A be downloaded from: tion can be stored in a reasonably small on-line ordering facilities. port to other processors is also not out http//www.nordicglobal.com/ couldn’t live without: Directory Opus Already some major parts of the Magellan II, MCP, Turbo Print 7, MakeCD. of the question. AmigaOS have been ported to PPC, Our thanks to the creators of this and all here are a few that were mentioned: According to the press release an alpha the other great Amiga software out there. KickStart Show 2000 version has been released to selected Clubbed is entirely created on the Amiga, Kickstart, the Surrey based Amiga user Skidmarks. As if that wasn’t enough • Exec, the core of the Amiga’s multi- developers and a public beta should be Cloanto no other machines are used at any stage of group, are holding their latest Amiga prizes including 3.1Gb hard drives and tasking OS. available in the coming months. the design or layout process. show on Saturday the 27th of May at Clickboom’s new game Nightlong will be • Native SCSI drivers for the MorphOS will be a commercial product Brook Hall, Brox Road, Ottershaw, up for grabs. CyberStorm and Blizzard PPC SCSI Legalese when it is finally released. Give-away Surrey. This will be their third show and controllers. The views expressed in this magazine are those A number of demonstrations will be if the previous ones are anything to go • The utility and math .libraries. MorphOS has a website where you can Cloanto have released the latest ver- of the author of each piece, they do not going on during the show including: necessarily reflect the views of the editor, other by it should be a great day out. • CyberGraphX 5 - a new PPC native read the complete press release at sions of Personal Paint, their popular Amiga OS 3.5, Lightwave, Amiga on the contributors or SEAL. version especially for MorphOS. http://www.morphos.de/ palette based paint package, and Please Note: Clubbed is produced by SEAL Forematt Home Computing, Epic and Internet, PowerPC games and software, Personal Fonts Maker, a bitmap and members in their spare time, while we will always • Ramdisk Handler - giving a new Ramjam Consultants will be at the show and Amiga for Beginners. colour font editor, free for personal non- strive to produce the magazine on time and selling their Amiga goods. Several include all the advertised contents this is not Amiga Inc., who along with Analogic are profit use. Distribution is via Aminet or Amiga user groups including ASA from always possible due to other commitments. The sponsoring the show, have donated two on the Meeting Pearls CDs only. The price you pay for Clubbed covers our costs and Portsmouth and of course SEAL will be A1200 Magic packs as prizes. One of Amiga Users Unite! packages are the full commercial ver- nothing more, we don’t make a profit from it. there hoping to meet new members. A If you wish to contact a contributor please send the A1200s will be given away as a door SEAL member Richard Lambert has just channels and a gallery. There is also an sions complete with extensive Amiga wide variety of new and used Amiga your message to one of the addresses above and prize, so you just have to come along to launched a brand new Amiga website extensive links page. guide documentation. we will pass it on. hardware and software will also be on with a variety of information to support the show to have a chance of winning! The site is called United Amiga Users Cloanto’s website is at: Amiga is a registered trademark and the Amiga sale. on-line Amiga users. He has included logo, AmigaDOS, Amiga Kickstart, Amiga and looks like it will develop into a very http://www.cloanto.com Doors open at 12:00 and entry costs £1, sections on the latest news, Amiga user Workbench, Autoconfig, Bridgeboard, and The ever popular games competitions useful resource, so why not pay Richard Powered by Amiga are trademarks of AMIGA Inc. more information can be found on the groups, recent Aminet uploads (includ- You can find the free downloads on any will be run again, this year contestants a visit? All other trademarks mentioned are the property Kickstart website at: ing a mirror of the last months in case Aminet mirror such as: of their respective owners. will be able to battle each other head to head in Quake and race with Super http://www.kickstart-amiga.co.uk the main Aminet site is down), IRC http://www.unitedamigausers.com/ http://uk.aminet.net/~aminet 4 CLUBBED - Issue 5 Spring 2000 5 NEWS NEWS Elbox Demo Phase 5 DCE Pick PageStream 4 Innovative Release The new version of Softlogik’s ZIV Card Insolvency Up Pieces Amiga DTP Elbox, the Polish firm who produce the New Products package, Power Tower and a wide range of other Amiga hardware mainstay Phase 5 As we reported in Clubbed issue 3 DCE A demo version of VHIStudio is avail- PageStream is Amiga accessories, have demonstrated Digital Products went into receivership had already taken over the majority of able from the Innovative website. now available. a version of their FastATA (IDE) con- in January. No direct reason was given Phase 5's product lines at the time of VHIStudio is priced at 69DM (about Version 4 adds even more features to troller for the ZIV slots on Apollo’s new for the move but we can only assume their bankruptcy, fortunately as the con- 25UKP) with the digital camera drivers PageStream’s already impressive ar- ZIV A1200 bus board. This is the first that the delays in producing the G4 tracts were already signed they have not costing an additional 20DM (about senal, here are some of the major ad- expansion for these special faster slots. based PPC accelerators was one of the been affected and DCE are continuing 8UKP) each. ditions since version 3.3: The FastATA controller (which is already problems that caused them to run out of to produce most of Phase 5's 68k available for A1200s without a bus money. Fortunately Phase 5 had already portfolio and are beginning production of Innovative’s other new release has been • Indexing. board and in a Zorro III version) allows signed contracts with DCE to license all the PPC products. This means we fxScan, this package interfaces to a • Table of Contents generation. Innovative, the German developer be- Amiga users to take better advantage of their existing products, including the cur- should see CyberStorm and Blizzard variety of scanners using ScanQuix. It • Figure numbering. hind fxPaint (reviewed this issue), has the many fast, cheap large capacity IDE rent PowerUP PPC cards and B/CVision PPC accelerators and the BVision and provides a straightforward user interface • Signature printing (automatic pagina- been busy over the last few months with drives which are now available and are PPC graphics cards. DCE have com- CVision PPC graphics cards available with image processing options geared tion for bound document, like this mag- a couple of new releases. severely restricted by the A1200 and mitted to continuing their production again soon. towards correcting the colour balance of azine). 4000's built-in IDE controller. (see right). On a less happy note there Probably the most interesting is scans. fxScan also supports Wolf • Defined style tags and variables at DCE are also producing a new version has been no news of the fate of those VHIStudio 5, this is an image capture Faust’s ICS automatic colour correction chapter level. Power Computing sells the Elbox of the CyberVision 64/3D Zorro II/III Phase 5 users who either had a card in program that supports a variety of video system. I understand that fxScan is in- • Bookmarks. FastATA products in the UK as the graphics card which will take advantage for repair or had paid for a pre-order on digitisers and digital cameras. VHIStudio cluded with the new version 5 of • Definable kerning pairs and tracking PowerFlyer range, they can be found at: the double speed Zorro II (not the new a G4 card. They were told to take up was previously called VLRec (which is ScanQuix as an alternative to the more tables. ZIV) slots on Apollo’s ZIV bus board. http://www.powerc.com/ their case with the official receiver but why we haven’t seen versions 1 to 4) technical standard scanning application. • Automatic before and after paragraph Another piece of good news is that DCE or phone (01234) 851500. so far we haven’t heard of anyone being and supported only the VLab range of rules. are providing a repair service for all the successful (although it may just take a Zorro digitisers from Macrosystem. • Drag-n-drop text editing. Phase 5 products they now manufacture long time of course). VHIStudio uses the new VHI driver • Spell check. so existing Phase 5 owners aren’t left system (developed by Innovative) to • PDF and HTML export. Just as we go to press www.amiga- completely out in the cold. IBrowse 2.2 support a wider range of digitisers. VHI • Configurable FPO (low resolution news.de has reported that the “Case of DCE have a website at: drivers for a range of Digital cameras image preview) size. Filing for Insolvency abandoned due to http://www.deccom.de/ from Olympus and Kodak have been • Layers. Out Now lack of assets” this means that potential released at the same time as VHIStudio • Drag-out guides. A new version of IBrowse correcting claims have to go to the former owners: Their UK distributor is Power although these do cost extra. many of the problems described in our Computing: Wolf Dietrich and Gerald Karda, Phase5 PageStream 4 is available from review last issue has been released. http://www.powerc.com/ A thumbnail system is provided to dis- digital products, In der Aue 27, D-61140 Blittersoft in the UK, the full version is IBrowse 2.2 is much more stable than (01234) 851500 play all the images which have been Oberursel, Germany. £169.95. An upgrade from version 3.3 is 2.1 and has improved (although still far grabbed or are in the memory of a digital available at £59.95. from perfect) Javascript support. The camera. Once an image has been fxScan costs 28USD (about £18) to buy http://www.blittersoft.com/ improved cache browser, browser tabs, selected several basic image processing alone and requires ScanQuix. (01908) 225454. and sheer speed of version 2 can now effects can be performed along with the Finally a demo version of fxPaint is now be exploited without fear of crashing, it usual rotate and flip operations. The Softlogik’s homepage has extensive in- available on the Innovative website for really is a joy to use. Unfortunately image can then be saved in a variety of formation on the new version: anyone interested in the features of the some features are still unimplemented R.I.P. AF formats or transferred to a dedicated http://www.softlogik.com/ program or how well it will perform on including graphical printing (although As you will probably have heard by now in the ‘states and image processor for further editing. Postscript printing still works well) and the May 2000 issue was the last Amiga in the “Classic” their machine. VHIStudio can grab pictures with a time SSL support except via Miami SSL (a Format, sadly Future publishing felt the market with Innovative’s website is at delay so you can create time lapse new version of AmiSSL is required). magazine was no longer profitable and hardware like http://www.innovative-web.de/ and has OS3.5 sequences. There is even the facility to Some features which have been imple- closed it down. the Amijoe secure on-line ordering. and Boxer and automatically upload an image to an mented are configurable pop-up menus This is very sad news especially as AF Software like MorphOS. FTP site on the Internet so you can use fxPaint is available from Blittersoft Mailing List and buttons, drag-n-drop GUI (you can has been so long running and was still Ben Vost has stated however your video camera (with a frame grab- (http://www.blittersoft.com/, (01908) now move the navigation and fast link pretty widely available, to some people Anyone who has upgraded to the new that he understands Future’s decision ber) or digital camera as a web cam. If 225454) and a few other dealers in the buttons etc. around the window), FONT without Internet access AF is probably AmigaOS 3.5 will be interested to hear on a business level and is sure that you grab a sequence of frames UK so I wouldn’t be surprised if they can FACE support and HTTP and FTP the only clue they have that the Amiga that there is now an Internet mailing list Future will bring out a new Amiga maga- VHIStudio can save them as an MPEG get the other products for you too. resume so you can complete failed market is still alive. On a happier note devoted to discussion of the new OS. zine if the market does revive. or IFF animation. ScanQuix is available from Eyetech. downloads. Version 2.2 is a free Ben Vost and Richard Drummond, AF’s The list now has a regularly posted FAQ upgrade for IBrowse 2.x owners. editor and staff writer are both moving AF’s untimely demise means that it is all (frequently asked questions) file and a Altogether if we were reviewing IBrowse on to new posts within Future as deputy the more important that we support New Birdie number of knowledgable contributors 2.2 now it would get a “Tasty”, but it’s editor on 3D World and staff writer on Amiga Active, which is a truly excellent A brand new version of this neat little utility which allows you to put textures in who can help you out with problems, still quite a way from the elusive “Caviar” Linux format respectively. magazine with great and varied content. your window borders has been released. Enhancments with the new version including some members of the OS3.5 christened “Birdie2000” include the ability to use colour gradients instead of development team. To join the list visit rating! It is unfortunate that Amiga Format was Our thanks to all AF’s staff for their hard bitmap images for the window texture as demonstrated here. its home page at: HiSoft are at http://www.hisoft.co.uk, forced to close just at a time when work and especially for supporting phone (0500) 223660. IBrowse 2.2 costs things seem to be happening again in Amiga user groups. Birdie is freeware available from: http://www.vgr.com/birdie1/ http://www.onelist.com/community/ £34.95, upgrades from V.1.2 are £12.95. the Amiga market both from Amiga Inc. amigaos3_5/ 6 CLUBBED - Issue 5 Spring 2000 7 NEWS NEWS Photogenics 4.4 Sounds Image Hyperion Prepare Paul Nolan has released a new beta Repulsive? version of Photogenics, his image to Amaze Alien Design have released the latest Engineer processor reviewed in issue 4. Version Hyperion have signed agreements to 4.4, which in our experience is ex- specifications of their Repulse sound port several more popular PC games to tremely stable, belying its beta status, card for Zorro equipped Amigas. The the Amiga in addition to Shogo and also adds new features and resolves board features a number of I/O con- On CD Heretic II which they are currently work- some of the niggles we had with 4.2 in nectors including optical digital input and ing on. The new games are: our review. A progress bar in each output (S/P-DIF), external stereo line in, Marko Seppänen, the new maintainer of image window allows you to see the mono microphone in, stereo line out and Image Engineer, a flexible shareware Sin stereo headphone out. There are also progress of the current effect eliminating imageprocessor, is about to release the This 3D action game, set in 2037, Shogo three internal stereo connections for that “has it hung?” feeling on slow first ever CD edition, in fact it should be places you as the owner of an elite input from CD-ROMs and the like. An on available around the time you read this. effects. There is also a small thumbnail Note the new preview and progress bar private police force who’s task is to foil a board mixer allows all the inputs (except Image Engineer has a wide variety of preview of the chosen effect so you at the bottom left hand corner of deadly drug trafficker. Sin is set to offer S/P-DIF) to be mixed and it’s also possi- effects and supports a wide range of don’t have to wait for the whole image to a stronger story line than many 3D ble to record from them all simul- load and save formats thanks to the su- render to get an idea of the effect. Many parallel using thisthe screensame core shot. code so in shoot-em-ups with puzzles to solve and taneously, full duplex (recording and other minor improvements and some fact if Photogenics is successful on perview.library. However one of its key levels and characters which change playing at the same time) is also sup- new effects including Fire Blur, Rub Linux it could boost the Amiga version to features is a powerful AREXX interface depending on the decisions you make ported. A 64Kb FIFO buffer minimises Emboss and Bump Map are included in new heights. which Marko has used to good effect to earlier in the game. Like Heretic II Sin the card’s CPU load while playing and version 4.4 making it a very worthwhile create a selection of scripts and plug-ins uses the Quake II engine so this port For further information and to download recording. The Repulse does not include under the Visual Engineering banner. update, and it’s free to all Photogenics 4 has been greatly boosted by Heretic II’s the latest beta visit the Photogenics a hardware MP3 decoder however it There are about 15 scripts and plug-ins owners. completion. website at http://www.paulnolan.com/. does have a feature connector which in total and many are really impressive, Freespace - The Great War Paul is also working on a version of Photogenics 4 is available in the UK would allow one to be added if there is for example Visual Logo helps you make Worms: Armageddon Photogenics 4 for Linux (a free Unix-like from Hisoft (0500) 223660 and other sufficient demand. stunning text effects and Visual Puzzle The sequel to Team17's hugely popular operating system) however he has dealers priced at about £60. cuts your image into realistic looking Amiga classics. stated that both versions will progress in jigsaw puzzle pieces. Descent: Freespace - The Great War A space based combat simulation where This Surf is Dead you take part in a variety of missions The latest Repulse prototype. The new CD includes the latest version including seek-and-destroy, espionage ...it is an X-Surf, it has ceased to be:) of Image Engineer and all the Visual and epic battles. You fight on the side of Individual Computers, the prolific manu- new version of IDE-Fix (reportedly called The mixer and independent volume con- Engineering scripts and plug-ins (some the Terrans and Vasudans to help defeat facturers of products like the Buddha, IDEFix 2000 or IDEMax) is released. trols for each input and output are of which were shareware) for just 50US the more technically advanced enemy, Catweasel and SilverSurfer have The clock ports can already be used adjusted via a mixer preferences pro- Dollars (about £31). You can order the the Shivans. This technical mismatch released a new Ethernet card for with Individual’s clock port devices and gram. An AHI driver and a Toccata com- CD on-line at: SiN adds depth to the game play as you Amigas with Zorro II slots. The X-Surf their GoldSurfer (2 x Serial and 1 x patible driver will be supplied allowing http://www.amigaworld.com/support/ have to steal some of the Shivan’s tech- Mick Sutton (for the cost of the disc) and (pronounced Cross Surf really) has Parallel) card can be connected to the the Repulse to be used with all major imageengineer/ nology to effectively fight them. I am sure Amiga Active will have it on 10BaseT (UTP) and 10Base2 (BNC) expansion port. Amiga audio software and other pro- their next CD. Ethernet connections allowing it to be grams such as games and MP3 players Hyperion have been posting regular The X-Surf is available in the UK from connected to most Ethernet networks which support audio via AHI. Hyperion have hinted that at least three Eyetech (who have renamed it the Surf- updates on their progress with the ports. and network devices like cable modems FORE-MATT Sin, Shogo and Heretic II all seem to be more ports are to be announced soon. XS for some reason) who supply it with A prototype is already being tested and at a theoretical maximum speed of progressing well and the other games Their porting of the commonly used a CD which helps you setup a mixed PC production cards are expected in the 10Mbits (about 1Mb) per second. In are now entering development. Heretic Quake II (for Heretic II and Sin) and and Amiga network with file transfer via summer. The price is likely to be about addition to its Ethernet functionality the News Lithtech (for Shogo) game engines will Samba. 200Euros (roughly £120). For more in- Our good friends at FORE-MATT Home II is very near release, you will probably X-Surf also has a pair of PIO mode 2 open the way for quicker ports of games formation take a look at the Repulse Computing have been busy expanding have seen the reviews in Amiga Format IDE ports, two A1200 style clock ports Individual computers have a website at and Amiga Active. A demo of Heretic II based on these engines in the future. website: their already wide range of Amiga soft- and an expansion connector. The IDE http://www.jschoenfeld.com/. Eyetech ware. They have taken over the Virus has just been released and is available Heretic II (and I expect all of Hyperion’s ports cannot currently be used until a are at http://www.eyetech.co.uk/, phone http://www.aliendesign.net/repulse/ Free PD library in addition to the PD from the Hyperion website forthcoming releases) require a PPC library they already run. On the Games (http://www.hyperion-software.com) accelerator and ideally a graphics card front FORE-MATT is now the distributor however at 42Mb it might be a bit big for with 3D acceleration. If it is released in ParaGlide on Final Approach for all of Islona’s disk based games and most people to download. SEAL time we will have a review of Heretic II The long awaited 3D acceleration add 3DFX’s own Glide API and the other The Paraglide requires a Picasso IV for Vulcan’s mini-series disk based members can get a copy on CD-R from in the next issue of Clubbed. on for Village Tronic’s Picasso IV supporting Haage and Partner’s Warp3D fitted to a Zorro III Amiga (NOTE it will games. graphics card will be available very soon which already works with Phase 5's 3D not work in a Zorro II machine like an Hungry for News? Try these great sites! according to Blittersoft, the UK dis- accelerated graphics cards. The A2000). It costs £99.95 from Blittersoft: To get an idea of the wide range of soft- Czech Amiga News - http://www.realdreams.cz/amiga tributor. The Paraglide module is based Warp3D driver should mean that ware they stock take a look at the advert http://www.blittersoft.com Amiga.org - http://www.amiga.org on a 3DFX Voodoo I chip and has 8Mb Picasso IV owners with PPC ac- later in this issue or contact FOREMATT (01908) 225454. Amiga News - http://www.amiganews.de/indexe.html of dedicated RAM on board. Two soft- celerators can now sample the 3D ac- Home Computing on (01793) 853802, or Amiga Network News - http://www.ann.lu ware drivers are promised, one using celerated games just coming to market. EMail [email protected]. 8 CLUBBED - Issue 5 Spring 2000 9 FEATURES FEATURES

By Gary Storm and Bill McEwen Interview Robert Williams Gary Storm Talks to Amiga’s President and CEO Family: implementing the plans that we had You’ve stated that the new Amiga will developed. The plans were started in launch with more readily available Wife Trish, son William, daughters North Dakota with Fleecy, Allan, Jeff and software than any other computer Ashley and C.K. myself. Now we are taking that vision launch in history. Could you offer Position: and those ideas and implementing them. more information? There are slight differences but overall President/CEO, or as I am referred to We are targeting 250 applications ready we are executing our plans. here Overlord Supreme. at launch. As the list is released on the You have some of the same partners site there you will see that we have Favourite Movie: too (Sun, Corel). Could you tell us made great progress towards that goal. Amazon Women in the Avacado Jungle more about their interest and impor- From the ‘Classic’ Amiga OS, exactly Amiga World of Death. tance. What a difference what features are you hoping to Amiga have released the first edition of Words of wisdom: We are implementing the plans that we migrate across to the new Amiga os? their new publication, Amiga World. The established years ago. The real shame Multiple screens? Intelligent Treat others the way that you want to be magazine is currently available on the is that we lost two years in making this a datatypes? Enhanced AREXX? treated. a few months make! Amiga website in HTML and PDF reality. DosDrivers? format. PDF can be downloaded and Probably the first Amiga question ince last we spoke, the new Elate). What this means is that the Why haven’t Red Hat Linux, Sun and There is a list and specification printed (using a free tool like APDF on people may want answered is simply Corel yet proclaimed their Amiga sup- forthcoming. Since I am not in engineer- Amiga owners (Bill McEwen and Amiga OS can be put on top of Windows ‘why’? Why bother with buying what- the Amiga or Acrobat for Mac and PC). port on their websites or through ing anything I stated here would more SFleecy Moss) have forged ahead (for instance) and offer some perfor- ever Amiga has left to offer in a world press releases? than likely be in error. You will be with developing a new kick-ass operat- mance boosts and unique features. that generally thinks it is a byword for pleased with what we have come up ing system (based on Tao’s “Elate”) for Running clean as the sole OS of course ‘games machine’ or corporate Corel did announce on their site. Sun with. desktop computers, digital set-top- will mean the fastest speeds possible. failure? will, the announcement did come from boxes, mobile phones... practically any- You could almost call this the ‘Stealth them, and Red Hat is forthcoming. There With your development program, how Amiga never had a fair shake. It was are also many more announcements much (and when) will the develop- thing really. Want an Amiga Microwave? OS’, as it infiltrates the market initially always part of another “computer” com- with other partners. ment boxes be, and what skills will No problem :). predominant as a bolt-on to Windows, pany and while brilliant in all respects it people need to be able to offer some- Appple, and Linux. If users like the feel never received the credit it was do. How much other interest have you Putting their hardware where their thing to the Amiga effort? of AmigaOS better than the host OS, garnered throughout the mainstream mouths are, Amiga even unveiled the Are you able to say what happened at they’ll change completely to run industry? What have been the com- We will have the specifics up by the end specs of the developer system at the Gateway with Amiga? Jim Collas and AmigaOS natively as soon as it can offer mon hurdles to overcome when talk- of the month. There are many changes Amiga 2k show in St. Louis on the first the crew seemed to have practically as many essential apps that they need, ing to these companies, and what has occurring with the plans because of the of April. Woo-Hoo! Basically this in- everything in place for a major impact or at least the ability to use existing file been their final reaction and com- input of the Amiga community, and be- volves a 500mhz AMD CPU, a hot-stuff on the industry, then: POOF! formats from other platform programs The first issues includes several articles ment? cause of these changes we are behind 2 NVidia graphic card, sound card and Nope. I really do not know what weeks from release. (eg Word for Windows). on Amiga’s vision for the future, “Tearing In the U.S. there is a great desire to see various pc bits - all for about £500 (and happened. We were moving ahead and Down the Walls” and “Beyond the Beige the Amiga come back and hold its place, You must have made some inroads yes, anyone can buy this from Amiga). Amiga are boasting partners such as then it all stopped. I do not know what Box” discuss the new future Amiga in however because of other influences with OEM’s by now, to produce hard- Developers will run Elate hosted on Red Sun Microsystems (creators of Java), happened, and I am sure that I will partnership with Tao sees for computing. they would like to see some more action. ware featuring the Amiga os. Any Hat Linux (which will also apparently be Corel (huge PC application software never know. There is a report from the recent St. In Europe and Asia there are many com- chance of you letting us know how available sometime for use on PPC company), and Red Hat Linux, along Louis show where the new Developer Gateway had their chance, and now we panies who are coming forward, and many you have signed up, and who cards). This system is the best with 100s of software titles available at platform was launched which ties in with are an independent organization there will be many announcements and they are? cost/performance ratio needed for launch, most from Amiga sources. focused 100% on Amiga nothing else. products delivered through alliances with an article describing Amiga’s new devel- Nope. Not telling. developing the next Amiga os and ap- Depending on the quality and arena of those companies. oper program. “Entering the Amiverse” Yourself, Fleecy and Tao seem to plications, which of course isn’t limited the titles of course, this amount (or What challenges do you envision (a term we seem sure to hear a lot more have adopted a lot of the Collas What Amiga applications have been to any particular hardware or operating more) available at launch is a significant Amiga to have? of) and “Inside the New Amiga” give an strategy, in that you’re focusing on offered to be ported that you are in- system. boost to Amiga’s chances. overview of the concepts and com- what the software (OS) has to offer terested in? Keeping up with the demands. For the for various incarnations of computer current community efforts we have 7 Everyone seems to be impressed at Presumably Sony have more than a ponents that will form the basis of the A list will be up on the site by the end of technology (desktops, STB’s, mobile- years of desires trying to be delivered in Amiga producing some goods within passing interest considering their in- new Amiga system. the month. Most are gaming related. phones etc.), to be made by OEM’s. 6 months. This is a huge issue. It is a four months of re-birth. The plan now is volvement as Tao investors, and it’s not There are also many favorites that have In a nice touch to support the existing balance. for developers and Amiga to do their entirely impossible that they are hedging I was with with Gateway for almost two committed to come back. Amiga press a section called the “Amiga thing in preparation for an (unoffically) their bets with Palm OS and AmigaOS, years working on the plans, and we are What is the competition? Resource Center” is included which in- estimated release of the consumer ver- choosing the best one that fits the range cludes details of the Amiga dedicated Ourselves. And this is not an arrogance sions in the fourth quarter 2000. With of hardware they have coming out in the speaking. We are own worst enemy. By magazines available world wide. (Before Keep Up-to-date the world needing a small, modular, near future. Pure conjecture of course. joining together we can make something you ask Clubbed isn’t mentioned in this scalable and efficient OS for the next happen, but by tearing each other apart Amiga have and are proving themselves issue but we should be in the next one). For more regular and in-depth news on Amiga happenings subscribe to Amiga generation of STB’s, mobile phones and we will fail. I have never seen a group of to be what they said they were - the Active Magazine and keep checking: handhelds Amiga and a couple of other Amiga say that Amiga World is designed people who want to see something saviours of Amiga. The Future has OS providers (including QNX) could be to allow them to communicate directly The official Amiga website: http://www.amiga.com succeed and then harm each other. never looked so good. ideally placed. Amiga’s OS has a clear with the Amiga community without hurt- Amiga Fresh, my NG Amiga news site: http://www.amigafresh.co.uk Thanks Bill, we look forward to your advantage in the fact that it is a write- Gary Storm ing the existing Amiga magazines and The SEAL website: http://www.seal-amiga.co.uk announcements and of course the once, run-anywhere RTOS (thanks to other resources. Czech Amiga News: http://www.realdreams.cz/amiga. first products from the new Amiga! 10 CLUBBED - Issue 5 Spring 2000 11 FEATURES FEATURES

a session) a further session can be some software support another writing the CD (data in ISO9660, audio con- opened ready to receive more tracks. method called Disc at Once (DaO), as verted to CDDA). Then when the disc is When all the tracks in the next session the name suggests DaO allows the written the data just has to be trans- have been written that session is closed whole disc to be written in one go, the ferred from hard disk to the CD writer, with a new TOC. When the CD is read laser is not switched off until all the no processor intensive conversion has the TOC of the last session is always tracks are written. This allows any length to be performed. The downsides to this used. If you tell your software to do so, of inter-track gap to be set, including method are that the process will take Making your own CDs the tracks in the previous session(s) can zero so the tracks flow seamlessly one longer as the image files have to be also be included in the new TOC, there- into another. compiled first and that you need enough has never been easier or fore the whole contents of what is now a hard drive space for the tracks you want cheaper... multi-session disc can be read. Once all to write in one hit, a complete 74 minute the sessions on a CD have been written audio CD needs about 740Mb. Robert Williams the disc can then be closed, this means investigates. the last session is closed and its TOC CD-R or CD-RW? written without opening a further ses- Two types of recordable CDs are avail- sion, nothing further can then be added able, CD-Recordable (CD-R) and CD- veryone is familiar with the filenames and directory structures. The the audio output of a CD player into the to the disc. Compact Disc as a medium for most common of these are the computer, however this will result in a ReWriteable (CD-RW), both can be Emusic storage and over the last RockRidge extensions, which are used loss of quality because the digital data Because multiple sessions were an used to create data and audio CDs but ten years it has become the defacto by most Unix systems and the Amiga, has to be converted to analog then re- addition to the original CD specification Creating a data CD in MasterISO. there are some important differences. standard for computer data distribution and Joliet, which was designed by sampled. The other method is to use most (if not all) audio players and some Once data is written to a CD-R disc it too. Until quite recently writing to a CD Microsoft to support Windows 95's long your CD-ROM drive to read the CDDA older CD-ROMs do not support them. On the Fly or cannot be deleted or overwritten. You was deemed impossible or at least im- filenames. Because both of these are data straight off the CD over the SCSI or Readers that do not support multi- can however add data in multiple ses- possibly expensive. With the develop- extensions to ISO9660, discs created IDE bus. Unfortunately not all CD-ROM session will still be able to access all the Image Files? sions to a CD-R so you don’t have to fill it in one go. CD-Rs work in most existing ment of special recordable and re- with them can usually be read by drives can do this at all, others are not tracks in the first session, for audio Generating the ISO9660 data for a track CD players and CD-ROM drives. CD- writeable discs all that has changed, systems that do not support the par- very good at it and very few can read readers this allows you to create CD- and converting certain audio files to RW discs can have data erased from and over the last couple of years CD ticular extension, however they will only CDDA at their full rated speed. Many Extra discs, these have audio tracks in CDDA can be a slow and CPU intensive them, with Amiga CD writing software recorders and discs have become very get shortened versions of the file names. older drives, particularly IDE drives will the first session and data in the sub- process. Because a CD track (or the readily available at affordable prices. not read CDDA over their bus at all, if sequent session(s). An audio player will you can erase all the data from the disc, Recordable CDs, unlike most other com- whole CD in DaO mode) has to be writ- you try, your software will just give you only recognise the first session and the last session or the last track. CD-RW puter data storage devices, can only be ten in one operation, your system must Data an error. Other drives will read the audio happily play the audio tracks there, discs are far less compatible than CD- written to once, data added to the CD be able to prepare the data and send it but it will have audible clicks and pops while almost all computer CD drives will Rs, they work in newer CD-ROM drives Originally CDs were designed only for cannot be changed. This in combination to the CD writer at the rate it is being where it was not extracted perfectly. If read both sessions so you can access usually designated “multiread” and a music, hence they are split into tracks with the fact that data and audio tracks written to the CD-R. Depending on the your software (usually the CD mastering the data and play the audio tracks. This very few audio CD players. CD-RWs are with each track being a constant stream must contain a continuous stream of specification of your system and the software includes the option to extract is safer than combining audio and data usually at least three times the cost of of digital data. When the specification data mean recordable CDs cannot be data being written, you may or may not audio) supports it try extracting at a in the same session (creating a mixed CD-Rs. for data CDs was decided the concept of written to file by file as you do with hard be able to write the data directly to CD-R lower speed this may clear up the prob- mode disc) as older audio players may tracks was kept, this meant that data drives, ZIP discs and other devices. or on-the-fly as it is often called. All CD lem. If your CD-ROM drive cannot ex- try to play the data tracks which not only Packet Writing and CD audio tracks could be mixed on mastering packages offer the option to tract audio well or at all most CD writers sounds awful but could damage hi-fi the same CD. When a data CD is Audio test a write operation before you perform If you read up on CD writing you will will do the job fine, however you will equipment. prepared, all the files and the directory it for real and potentially waste a CD-R. soon come across packet writing, this is Digital audio data is stored on the CD in have to save all the tracks onto your structure information is encoded into a Test writing does exactly the same as a method which allows you to treat a a format called CDDA which, unsurpris- hard disk first then write the disc. Track at Once and single file that is written to the CD as a writing for real except the CD writer does CD-R or more usefully a CD-RW much ingly, stands for Compact Disc Digital data track. Fortunately an international Disc at Once not turn on its laser so the disc is not like any other read-write disk. For ex- Audio. Each audio track consists of two Sessions standard for the format of this data was touched. If your system cannot keep up ample you can copy files by drag-and- uncompressed samples one for each As I have already mentioned each track agreed called ISO9660, this means a The tracks available on a CD, be they the flow of data required you will get a drop on the desktop. Unfortunately there stereo channel, the audio is sampled of a CD-R must be written in its entirety, data CD conforming to ISO 9660 can be audio or data are listed in a Table of “Buffer Under Run” message. This is currently no packet writing software 44100 times per second in 16bit resolu- the CD writer cannot write a bit, turn its read on almost any computer platform. Contents (TOC), this acts as a look-up means that the write operation had to be for the Amiga. However packet written tion. Most CD-R software takes care of laser off, then write some more later. table so the reader can jump straight to aborted because the writer ran out of CDs do have some drawbacks, they The original ISO9660 specification was the conversion between sound file Normally however, the writer does stop the requested track. Because a recor- data to write, if you were writing to the cannot be read unless specific driver fairly limited, for example it only allowed formats, and will even interpolate 8bit at the end of each track, this means you dable CD cannot be changed once it is disc for real it would be spoilt, commonly software is install and in general the MSDOS style eight character file names. samples up to 16bit and lower sampling can stop and add more tracks later and written the, TOC can only be written called a “coaster”! opinion of the PC packetwriting software Over the years several extensions to the frequencies up to 44100Hz if required. also that any time taken to prepare the after all the tracks are finished (this is (such as Direct CD) seems to be that it format were created to cater for operat- data for the next track will not cause If you do get a buffer under-run (hope- usually called fixing, finalising or closing is very slow and prone to disc corrup- ing systems that support more complex problems. According to the CD-R fully on a test write) you have a couple the disc depending on your software). tion. So the lack of Amiga support may Compiling a specification there must then be a mini- of options open to you, one is to write at Until the TOC is written the CD cannot not be as bigger loss as it sounds. What’s What? compilation mum two second gap before the start of a lower speed, however you may find be read in any reader other than the CD audio disc the next track. This method of writing is that you just cannot write slowly enough In this feature, I refer to the drive writer. For data CDs this is a problem, Software called Track at Once (TaO), all CD for the system to keep up. Also multiple used to write onto recordable or re- using as often you will want to add more data MakeCD. writers and all CD mastering software test runs to determine the minimum A CD writer can be used as a standard writeable compact discs at the CD at a later date but would like to read the supports this method. Some times when speed take a lot of time. read-only CD-ROM drive simply by writer and the discs themselves a CD in the mean time. To get around this recording a “live” album where the mounting it with a standard CD file CD-Rs and CD-RWs. I mention this If you want to copy tracks from a CD problem you can use sessions, a ses- The other option is to use an image file tracks run into each other with no system (as explained in issue 4) how- because many people call a CD onto a CD-R you need to get the digital sion is a set of tracks with a table of con- for each track, in this case the CD writ- breaks or making a perfect copy of ever if you want to use it to write CDs a writer a CDR (CD recorder) which audio into your computer. If you have a tents, however when a session is ing software creates a file of all the data another disc these breaks are unaccept- dedicated CD writing package is serves to confuse things a bit! sampler this could be done by sampling finished (usually called closing or fixing for each track in the correct format for able. Therefore some CD writers and required. Three major CD writing pack- 12 CLUBBED - Issue 5 Spring 2000 13 FEATURES FEATURES ages are available for the Amiga, prepared to pay, how long you can wait the better, although on a well configured only take a few seconds so this isn’t too with a later ROM they are excellent and discs. These discs are no better for surprisingly in the current marketplace for discs to write and your Amiga system it shouldn’t matter too much. As important, CD writing can take over an use DMA too. The Oktagon Zorro II audio than a good quality standard CD- all three are currently being developed system. a guide most older (2X) drives have a hour, during which the Amiga won’t be SCSI board is also known to cause R. The reason for the high price is that and have received upgrades in the last 512KB or 1MB buffer, 2MB is common responsive for other tasks. Worse run- problems with older ROM versions. So they are designed for audio component few months. You can find reviews of all Price on 4X drives and faster drives can have ning another CPU intensive task could before you spend any money be sure to CD recorders (which won’t work with these packages starting on page 16. 2X or even 4X IDE CD writers can be 4MB. interrupt the data transfer, if this research your system compatibility, from standard discs), part of the price is a found for under £100 and provide an happens for long enough the CDR will what I’ve seen the MakeCD website has royalty to the music industry. Hardware excellent low cost solution. SCSI writers Drivers be ruined. the most details on these issues includ- ing listings of systems users have had Conclusion There are three aspects to choosing start at about £150 but you could pay In common with many other generic DMA controllers leave much more CPU success with. hard ware for CD writing, the most nearly £300 for one of the new 12X units hardware items you need to make sure time free as data is being transferred so As I’m sure you’ve gathered from read- obvious is the CD writer itself but it is that are just becoming available. that the CD writer you choose to buy is the Amiga can still be used during the ing this feature CD writing is quite a supported by your chosen Amiga soft- Media also important to make sure your Amiga Time CD writing process and on-the-fly complex topic, and I’ve only scratched is up to the task of supplying the writer ware. When consumer CD writers first operations are more likely to be suc- Creating reliable CDRs for your applica- the surface here. Loads more informa- with the constant flow of date it requires. At 1X a complete 650Mb data or 74 appeared many manufacturers had their cessful. There is much less chance that tion tends to be a bit hit and miss at first tion is available in the documentation of Finally you will need some CD-R or CD- minute audio CD will take the full 74 own command set meaning the CD soft- a CPU intensive application will cause especially if you are creating audio CDs. the various software packages and at RW media to actually write on. minutes to write plus some additional ware had to specifically support each the burn to fail. In general data CDs (to be read in com- the Internet resources I’ve listed in the time to close the disc. At 4X this is drive. Fortunately most manufacturers puter CD-ROM drives) work reliably Hot Links box out. That said once you CD Writer reduced to just under 20 minutes, 10 for now use a standard command set which CD Reader when burnt on almost any disc. Reliable have a reliable system sorted out you’ll is even common between IDE and SCSI A bewildering variety of CD writers are 8X and just 6 minutes on a 12X drive. As I mentioned in the audio section if audio discs however are burnt using the find that backing up your hard drive or drives. This means that almost any CD now available, they come with different However if you’re only going to write a you intend to create audio discs with right combination of CD writer and CD making the odd audio CD is pretty writer you can buy today that uses a interfaces, speeds and amounts of buff- CD occasionally waiting 20 minutes for a tracks from other CDs you need a CD- media for the target reader (CD player). straight forward. standard SCSI or IDE (ATAPI) interface er memory here I’ve tried to explain disc may be quite acceptable, and cer- ROM drive that can digitally extract CD Because there are so many possible will work with all three Amiga CD-R Although CDRs may not be quite as what you need to look out for when tainly not worth paying double for the CD audio. You can test your current drive combinations of writer, CDR and reader packages. SEAL members have drives convenient as large capacity removable choosing one. writer. Also be aware that especially for with the demo version of MakeCD, it’s impossible to recommend a “one size from Mitsumi, Plextor and Yamaha allow drives like the Jaz and Orb for data audio you may find you cannot write at which has the ability to extract audio. If fits all” brand of disc. That said, here are working 100% reliably for instance. If storage and backup their low cost and Speed the full speed of your writer and get you extract an audio track to disc you some brands we’ve used successfully: you’re concerned about compatibility transferability make them a very practi- acceptable playback quality. can see how fast your drive is and listen Like CD-ROM drives the speed of a CD and are on the ‘net all three software Verbatim Datalife Plus cal alternative. Plus they can be used for writer is stated as the multiple of the to the quality of the extracted track, Buffer packages have extensive compatibility audio work too, all in all a CD writer is a original CD audio transfer rate of 174KB which should be indistinguishable from My personal favourite, these dark blue lists on their websites. MakeCD and very useful addition to any Amiga. To help keep the steady flow of data as the original. If you intend to burn audio discs seem to work well in all ap- per second. Most drives currently on the MasterISO also have mailing lists where the CD is written CD writers are on-the-fly your CD-ROM needs to ex- plications and also have a high quality market write CD-R discs at 4X you can discuss different drives with equipped with buffer memory (in addition tract audio faster than your CD writer feel to them with attractive packaging (600KB/s) or faster, 8X drives are now other users. CD-R Utilities common and even the new 12X drives to the buffer in the computer’s memory will write it. and a solid white top surface. maintained by the CD writing software). are being introduced at reasonable Here are a couple of utilities which Before writing starts the buffer is filled System Summary Kodak Gold prices. Almost all drives also write on you may find useful in addition to with data, then if the data from the com- CD-RWs but these are limited to a maxi- Interfaces While most Amigas with at least a 68030 These discs look impressive, as they are your CD writing program. They can mum of 4X, I have read rumours that 8X puter stutters ,a few seconds of data is processor should be quite capable of gold on both sides. Again they work well As long as your controller (SCSI or IDE) be found on Aminet either on the ‘net CD-RW drives are on the horizon. What available in the buffer to make up the servicing a 4X CD writer faster speeds although they don’t seem quite as reli- can sustain a transfer rate of twice the (http://uk.aminet.net/~aminet/) or on speed drive you go for really depends shortfall preventing a coaster. In general will tax the hardware much more. 8X able for audio as the Verbatims. Rumour writing rate (so you can read from the the CDs. You may also find the CD on three things, how much you are the more buffer memory the drive has and 12X drives can exceed the maxi- has it that the gold reflective surface source and write at the same time) you utilities we reviewed in the issue 4 of mum throughput of the built-in A1200 should last longer than the aluminium should be able to write CDRs using an Clubbed useful. and A4000 IDE interface for example, so used on silver discs. Hot Links imagefile of the disc. even using image files the Amiga won’t IdentCDR.lha (disk/cdrom) TDK Reflex World Wide Web The type of controller you have can keep up. With a decent DMA controller Simply give this tiny utility the device affect the reliability of your CD writing, based system it should be possible to Another good all-rounder and as you name and unit number of your CD CD-R FAQ - http://www.fadden.com/cdrfaq/ whether you can write data and tracks run any drive on the market today at would expect very professionally writer and it will display a variety of Comprehensive FAQ, answers common CD writing questions and in the process from some audio files on-the-fly and maximum speed and certainly there are presented and packaged. Tend to be a information about the CD-R disc in- explains the key concepts. whether the computer can be used for many people using 8X drives with no bit more expensive than the Verbatims. side. This includes the actual manu- anything else while writing. Controllers Mike Richter’s CD-R Primer - http://resource.simplenet.com/ problems. Remember that even if your facturer (as opposed to who prints can be split into to major types, PIO Samsung 80 minute Somewhat Windows centric but very useful introduction to many aspects of CD system won’t fully utilise a fast drive their name on the label), the total (Programmed IO) and DMA (Direct writing from a users point of view. there’s nothing to stop you buying a Some audio projects may need a longer recording time available and the type Memory Access). PIO controller use the faster drive and using it at a lower speed CD than the standard 74 minute CDR of dye used. Amiga CD-R Software Homepages (URLs with reviews starting on page 16) Amiga’s CPU to transfer the date from until you get the hardware that will take length, there are now several brands of Probably the best resource for Amiga specific information. MakeBackup.lha (util/bakup) the controller into RAM. DMA controllers advantage of it. 80 minute CDR available. These ones transfer the data directly into RAM with News Groups NOTE from Samsung seem to work well, unlike CD-Rs make a very useful backup little CPU intervention. This means that the LeadData 80 minute discs I tried medium until you have more than (can be read on the web at http://www.deja.com/usenet or similar) while data is being transferred a PIO There are some problems with certain which were hopeless for audio (but fine 640Mb to store. This handy utility comp.publish.cdrom.hardware controller will use up a lot of CPU time (mostly older) SCSI controllers and CD for data). scans the drive or directory of your This news group discusses CD writers and discs ad infinitum, useful for getting a and can effectively cripple other pro- writing. For example the Phase 5 con- choice and makes a file list for each feel for people’s opinions on different drives. grams running on the Amiga and leave trollers for the Blizzard 1200 ac- Designed for Audio 640Mb of files. These lists can then little processor power for on-the-fly comp.publish.cdrom.software celerators, CyberStorm MkI and the When buying blank discs you may see be loaded into MakeCD and the files operations like ISO image creation. Mostly discusses Windows (and occasionally Mac) CD writing software but also Fastlane Z3 can cause problems with special “designed for audio” CD-Rs at a burnt to CD-R. The end result is all Normal data transfers like loading a file covers many platform independent issues. older (prior to version 8) ROM revisions, considerably higher price than standard the data spread over a set of CD-Rs. 14 CLUBBED - Issue 5 Spring 2000 15 REVIEWS REVIEWS

Something Fishy MakeCD 3.2c Reviews are very subjective, what one reviewer may love, another hates. Such CD-R Software Developer: Patrick Ohly &Angela is life. So we decided to have a general Schmidt score, which the reader can take into WWW: makecd.core.de account along with the text. Distributor: HiSoft Round-Up WWW: www.hisoft.co.uk So we invented the fish... it’s easy to Te l: (0500) 223660 work out which we feel is a better CD writing is not an area your tracks before you can edit them. Price: TaO Version £34.95 product... the more bones that show, the Once you have the tracks saved to disk DaO Version £49.95 smellier the fish :). We only award our where the Amiga lacks apply editing operations such as cut top Caviar rating to products that are which deletes unwanted areas, and practically perfect. software, Robert apply filters like de-crackle and fades. he process of creating a CD in Williams & Robert Davis Once the tracks are prepared they can MakeCD revolves around the then be burnt TaO or DaO using the TTracks list in the main window. review the challengers. appropriate window. Whatever the type of CD you build up all the tracks you want in the list, choosing The audio support doesn’t even end all audio tracks creates an audio CD, all Caviar BurnIT 2.65 there, if your CD-ROM and CD writer BurnIT’s nine windows all accessed from the main panel can be a bit confusing. data a data CD and you can choose a are compatible BurnIT will read and mixture to make a Mixed-Mode CD. If The best so far! We can hardly pick prehensive describing most of the pro- write CD-Text (CD title and track in- you have audio or track image files anything out of it, not even boogers. Developer: Titan Computer Program Design gram windows along with a set of formation stored on recent CDs, and ready to burn you can just drag them Rarer than Nessie. WWW: www.titancomputer.de As I mentioned before, BurnIT’s main tutorials to help you complete common displayed by some new players). There from a Workbench window into the Price: 153DM, about £53.00 windows are accessible from the nine CDR operations like data and audio CD is also a CDDB facility which will con- MakeCD track list to add them to the CD buttons of the initial window. Each of creation and copying. In the nect to an on-line database of CD titles then use the Up and Down buttons to urnIT’s initial window consists of these windows almost feels like a separ- AmigaGuide manual we found several and track names and download the in- arrange the tracks. You can individually nine icons, each of them opens a ate program because there is little com- sections listed on the contents page formation for the current audio CD. set whether each track will be written separate window controlling a monality between them, for example the were missing including the descriptions B Once you have the track information direct to CD or if it will use a hard disk particular aspect of the program. It has DaO and TaO windows look and work of some of the sub windows and an BurnIT can add CD-Text to the CD image file (which is less processor and to be said that BurnIT does not make a completely differently even though they FAQ, while none of these were vital the you’re burning, there is even an AREXX data intensive). To write in TaO or DaO This product is definitely worth buying good first impression. Unless you have have a similar function. This feeling of documentation was not complete. The macro supplied to automatically print a mode you just flip a cycle gadget in the but, like most things, still has room for a Magic Workbench palette lock in- separation is reinforced by the fact that documentation contains no background CD cover with all the track information in Advanced Options window. improvement. stalled, the icons are horrible colours, PageStream 3. in several areas of the program you information on CD writing which is quite the GUI is not font sensitive and uses have to save a data file only to load it important for beginners although this is Data Topaz in most windows, all in all it looks Data into another section. I feel this design available on various Internet sites (see old fashioned. However, the look of a makes BurnIT more difficult to learn and the CD-R feature on page 12). Data CDs can be created from any vol- The ISO Maker window has a list view utility program is far from its most impor- use because the steps required to carry ume available on your Amiga. In the ISO showing each directory and subdirectory tant feature so lets see what BurnIT can out an operation are not logical from the Conclusion Image Prefs window you can choose the which will be added to your CD. Clicking volumes or directories you want to in- do for us. GUI design. BurnIT has lots of facilities including a on the drawer icon beside each direc- clude on the CD, all the files and direc- powerful data CD builder and the best tory listing opens a list of files in that tories inside these will be included on Average, neither too good nor too bad Audio Documentation audio facilities of the three. The interface — it works but there are areas which directory. An app icon on Workbench the CD. MakeCD supports ISO9660 The audio facilities of BurnIT are ex- According to the Titan website BurnIT is far from perfect but it does do the job need major improvement or are way allows you to add the contents of a discs and the Rock Ridge extensions tensive and utilise five out of its nine DaO is supplied with both printed and once you get used to it. Despite my behind competing products. directory or volume by drag and drop. which means you can burn disc compat- windows. The Read CDD window lists Amiga Guide documentation. We didn’t reservations about the GUI BurnIT does BurnIT then scans the directory struc- ible with almost all platforms including all the tracks on the current CD in your get a printed manual with our review provide a balanced set of impressive ture and displays it. You can delete files PC (DOS, Windows, Linux etc...), Amiga reading drive and allows you to save copy but the Amiga Guide is pretty com- features and all these programs will take and directories you don’t want to have and Mac, however it doesn’t support the each track as an audio file to hard disk. some learning due to the complexity of on the CD, and add files to the existing Windows specific Joliette or Mac HFS If you want to burn some or all of the CD creation. The on-line manual, while SMELLY directory structure. The rename option Supported? formats. You can even make bootable tracks direct to disc TaO you can drag being out classed by the other two here, allows you to change file and directory CDTV, CD32 (requires a CDTV.tm or and drop them into the TaO editor, how- provides some good tutorials to get you Crap, but hopefully getting better in names, when you rename a directory All three programs support a wide CD32.tm file which is on the Amiga ever I found this rather erratic, it didn’t going on common operations (building future versions (if there are any). you can edit its path and therefore move range of SCSI and ATAPI CD writers, Developer’s CD) and MS-DOS (bootable always move the tracks I expected. You data and audio CDs and CD copying). it in the directory structure of the CD. far too many to list here. If you want PC) discs if you so desire. If you want to can burn audio files in various formats There are two things I would like to see to find out if your particular writer is create a data CD with a different direc- including WAV, MAUD and MP3 direct to added to the ISO Maker, one is the op- supported it’s best to go along to the Results tory structure to the source hard drive an audio CD, MP3 support uses the tion to create a new directory on the CD, program’s website where they each you will need to build your CD on the mpega.library which is available for currently the only way is to add a direc- have an extensive list. Even if the hard drive first because MakeCD does 680x0 and PPC processors. A page in tory from disk and rename it, and the writer of your dreams isn’t listed most not include a directory structure editor. the preferences window allows you to other is the option to add files and direc- modern drives (including the latest make image files for MP3 tracks before tories within an existing directory on the Yamaha and Plextor models) use a Audio writing if your system isn’t fast enough CD. Currently if you add a directory or Disgusting, multicolour yawn inducing standard command set and thus work to decode them on the fly. BurnIT also file it always ends up at the top level of MakeCD is very flexible when it comes abomination that insults the Amiga. with a generic driver supplied with has a simple audio editor built in, this to burning audio CDs, you can burn the directory structure, moving it is a each program (MakeCD’s driver is operates on files on disk so you need to major task as every directory has to be tracks directly from other CDs or a wide called CDR_SCSI3_ATAPI). use the Read CDD window to read in renamed with a new path. variety of Audio files. Supported formats 16 CLUBBED - Issue 5 Spring 2000 17 REVIEWS REVIEWS include AIFF, MAUD, WAVE (.wav), covering all the windows and options. hard drive and then create an audio CD CDDA, Samplitue and MPEG-audio. There is also an FAQ section and list of MasterISO 2.5 from those files. MPEG support uses the mpega.library the various CDROMs and writers sup- Audio files for playback on a CD must which is available in 68k and PPC ver- ported and the many tested con- Developer: Asimware Innovations be captured at a rate of 44100 samples sions. If you have a fast 040, 060 or a figurations. MakeCD’s bubble help fea- WWW: www.asimware.com per second. Samples at a lower rate will PPC card you can even burn MP3 audio ture can be switched on at any time from Distributor: Blittersoft sound a bit odd when you play them files direct (slower processors can use the program menus and brings up ex- WWW: www.blittersoft.com back at a multiple of their sampled an image file) to a CD which will play on tensive help when you rest your pointer Te l: (01908) 610170 speed. any audio CD player! A common use of over a gadget for a few seconds, a boon Price: Alone...... £49.95 MackCD’s interface centres the audio CD functions is to create com- when your learning the package (al- W/ AsimCDFS £69.95 I bought MasterISO for one project. I am MasterISO’s interface takes you pilation CDs using tracks from CDs in around the track list. though you’ll soon want to switch it off!). continuously updating a CD of pictures am aware of three packages for the step-by-step through the your collection. In TaO mode (where the Finally MakeCD has an excellent and other data files from the Amateur Burning Amiga to write to CD ROM disks. I CD creation process. writer’s laser stops between tracks) you website at http://makecd.core.de/ which Radio balloon flights in which I par- bought MasterISO in the autumn of burn tracks from several source CDs When you come to burn your CD boasts an even more extensive set of I ticipate. Since I’m adding to the data tain a website at: 1999, and the program works well for without using image files, simply swap- MakeCD opens its Write Window, here documentation and links to some excel- regularly, I just keep a directory on my http://www.asimware.com where you me. ping source discs when requested, how- you choose whether to do a test burn lent CDR resources, there is also an ac- hard drive with the information I need to can read about their programs, down- ever you do need to make a note of the and how the CD-R should be fixed. tive mailing list. As I write this review in early March put on the CD. Whenever I capture more load updates, and most especially, get track order as MakeCD has no way of Clicking on Start then causes the 2000, the current version of MasterISO pictures or need to add other files to the the current list of CD-R and CD-R/W CD writing tends to be quite complex knowing what each source CD is called. MakeCD to start writing or test writing to is 2.5. I suggest you do not upgrade to CD, MasterISO allows me to easily drives which work with MasterISO, most and MakeCD’s full set of options can be the CD. At the bottom of the Write that version. MasterISO comes on its update the project. And it will write to my do. A demo version of the program on If you have a particular CD you com- quite off putting to beginners. To avoid window a large text box displays in- own CD at version 2.3, and once you CDD-2600 at its maximum rate, slightly the website will work to show you what monly have to burn, MakeCD allows you this option overload the authors have formation about the track being written. have the registration code printed on the above the 300K byte per second 2X the program looks like, but it is non- to save the current track layout and set- included a Novice mode which simplifies The top half of the window is taken up card packed with the CD, you can down- data rate advertised for this particular functional. Unlike the MakeCD demo, tings as a project file. So, for example, if each window to provide only the essen- by several progress meters which show load the upgrade to version 2.4. That drive. the MasterISO demo won’t write a CD. you commonly backup your hard drive to tial settings. As the program is supplied you the progress of the current track, one works. CD you could set MakeCD up, save a and the CD as a whole amongst other the novice mode allows you to easily Earlier versions of MasterISO came with My comments about MasterISO have project, then simply load it up every time things, you really couldn’t ask for more create audio CDs Amiga compatible When trying to create an audio CD, ver- a printed manual, but now the manual is been at times negative, but I must say you wanted to make that backup. information. One slight annoyance is data CDs. sion 2.5 gave an error message every a set of pdf (Adobe Portable Document that I like the program. It does what I time I attempted to write the data to the Format) files on the CD containing the want it to do, and even with the oc- that you cannot change the write speed MakeCD’s design, which centres around Copying disk, either for real, or when trying to program. This keeps the cost down for casional glitch, it does not crash my from the Write Window, if you find your a single track list regardless of write simulate a disk write. Version 2.5 did the publisher, and makes the Amiga A3000. It works. I am pleased with my You could copy a CD using MakeCD’s write speed is too fast or indeed too slow mode (TaO or DaO), makes the most work with no errors when writing data owner do a bit of work to find an appro- purchase, and I look forward to a ver- normal interface just by adding all the when you test you have to abort out of sense to me. However it does mean that CDs. The president of the Kansas City priate pdf viewer just to read about the sion 2.6 update which will fix the audio tracks from the source CD to the list, the write window to change the option in some functions are “hidden” is sub Amiga User’s Group, Bob Kennedy, tells program. I prefer Apdf, available in recording problem I have with 2.5. however this would be quite a time con- the settings requester. windows. Once you know your way me he also went back to version 2.4 several versions from the aminet suming task. To aid you in this process around it’s easy to master, and means By Robert Davis after difficulties using 2.5. archive. MakeCD has a Copy CD option which CD-RWs you can see all the options available to opens a separate window with just the Rewriteable CDs are treated just like you. You will probably need to refer to Another problem with MasterISO is the A problem with the manual is that there options you need. This window allows normal CD-Rs by MakeCD the only dif- the excellent on-line documentation and repeated display of the yellow is just no listing of error codes or poten- Results you to change options such as whether ference being that you can erase them pop-up help at first as you find your way “Recoverable Alert” messages. On my tial common difficulties which the new to use an image file and if the disc in various ways after they have been around. While data CD creation is Amiga, I have been able to get through user may experience. The instructions should be burnt TaO or DaO. Once recorded. You can erase the session probably MakeCD’s weakest point (it each of those alerts without a problem, do offer a fairly detailed explanation of you’re happy with the settings clicking fixation (so you can add further tracks to lacks a full directory structure browser but they appear continually, as I move how to create either a data CD or an the CopyCD button will take you straight a session), the last track, last session or and Joliette support) it does have every- from window to window in the program audio CD, but it makes assumptions to the Write Tracks window to burn the the complete CD. For a complete CD thing you need for normal backups and or when I choose to quit MasterISO. about the user’s knowledge, which were, CD. There is also a Setup Project button you can always setup the structure of at least in my case, overly optimistic. I two erase methods are offered, fast At this point, I should explain that which will add all the tracks to the track more complex CDs on disk before you obtained some explanations of which takes a few minutes (the exact MasterISO runs on my A3000 desktop, list with the settings you chose, so you start burning. Audio capabilities are MasterISO features from “Saraba” in the time depends on your CD writer) and with an A3640 card. The cpu is the 25- can make alterations or save the project comprehensive with support for a wide Undernet IRC channel #amigacafe. thoroughly which takes as long as writ- mhz 68040, the machine has 50-meg of if you want. range of file formats including on-the-fly Thank you Saraba. ing all the data on the CD-RW. ram, and a GVP-M Spectrum video MPEG decoding, in my experience card. My CD writer is a Philips CDD- I shall not attempt to enumerate all the Summary MakeCD is very well documented with a MakeCD is the easiest of the three for 2600 which writes standard CD-R only, features of MasterISO. The important printed manual, on-line Amiga Guide making CD compilations. and extensive bubble help. The short not CD-R/W. The 2600 is attached to the part is that it writes CDs which I can It’s great to be able to conclude that all printed manual supplied by HiSoft con- A3000's built in SCSI host adapter. The read on the Amiga, and on my Windows three of these packages will allow you to reliably create audio and data CDs with sists of an introduction to the basics of A3000 runs Amiga OS 3.5. 95 computer. I have not had an oppor- Results tunity to try the disks I’ve created on a few problems. The all have the basic CD writing followed by a series of il- I do not have AsimCDFS, from the same Macintosh, but one Mac user reports features required and I think most lustrated tutorials and a glossary which publisher as is MasterISO, so I cannot success reading an early version of my people would be satisfied whichever serves to get you started. The manual is copy CDs directly from my Toshiba 32X Balloon CD. I always configure they purchased. All of them have minor obviously aimed at Hisoft’s squirrel cus- reader to the CD-R. That “Disk At Once” MasterISO to make data CDs simul- flaws or omissions but there is nothing tomers, it strongly recommends against or DAO procedure would be quite use- taneously ISO-9660 and Joliet filesys- that can’t be learned (e.g. BurnIT’s inter- any on-the-fly operations which are fine ful, and I shall eventually purchase on faster controllers. The Amiga Guide tem compatible. face) or worked around (for example AsimCDFS. But I can still do TAO or MakeCD’s lack of directory structure manual is very comprehensive with Track At Once recording and I have MasterISO is a product of Asimware, in editor or MasterISO’s lack of MP3 sup- MakeCD’s Write and ISO Image more tutorials and a reference section been able to copy some music files to a Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. They main- windows give plenty of status info. port). 18 CLUBBED - Issue 5 Spring 2000 19 REVIEWS REVIEWS

seem to be implemented, in fact we couldn’t spot any differences in the pro- gram whatever experience level we set. One particularly nice aspect of many effects is the “Position Mode” button, this allows you to set the centre of an effect (such as a radial blur or light source) by clicking the image rather than entering co-ordinates. A range of painting tools are available from a pop-out list in the tool bar includ- ing all the normal options like freehand, line, circle, rectangle (both filled and un- filled) etc. The Brush Manager window PAINT controls the brush used in freehand This new image processing package has a feature list as long as mode, and allows you to generate new your arm. Robert Williams finds out if it lives up to expectations ones. Thumbnails of all the available brushes are shown and you can create with the help of Mick Sutton. circular brushes of varying size and den- sity easily. You can also load existing xPaint is a new image processing On loading fxPaint you are immediately possible to save the paint layer so you greyscale images to use as a brush and program from a German company, struck by the lush, attractive interface, can apply an effect to the same area perform basic operations on brushes like fInnovative. On the surface fxPaint there are colourful icons, a backdrop later. fxPaint has an attractive interface with some posh effects. Shown here is the scaling or applying a border. For more seems to have been designed by taking texture and the text buttons in reques- compose effect, simple compositions like the one shown take just a few clicks. fxPaint has over 50 different effects, complex editing you can export the the best parts of existing Amiga ters have a subtle gradient effect. The these are split into groups in the moment the limitations I have mentioned brush as an image, use any of fxPaint’s graphics packages and moulding them interface is based on multiple windows Compose fxManager window. Most effects have an mean the package that inspired it is tools and effects on it then reload the into a new application. Several parts of and tool bars. Each image is loaded into options window that can be accessed The compose effect has a large options much more useful. altered image. The Brush Manager can the program that are strongly reminis- its own window and there is a useful bar using the Options button, also in the window where you can choose the also create brushes from a line of text in cent of other packages: the rub-on rub- across the bottom of the screen which fxManager window is a Real Time check image that will be composed over the fxAlbum Mosaic any system font so you can add text to off painting system of Photogenics, the holds thumbnails of open images. All box. In Real Time mode the effect over top of the current one. Position mode This allows you to recreate the “photo your images. While the brush manager brush handing of ArtEffect and some of this visual splendour makes a graphics the whole image is calculated as soon allows you to move the second image mosaic” mosaic effect that has been allows complex brushes to be created the effects are very similar to those in card almost essential. Although fxPaint as you pick a new effect or change a around and you can apply an automatic used quite a lot on TV recently, espe- there is no easy way of quickly adjusting ImageFX. However fxPaint is an all-new does run in 256 colours on AGA Amigas setting. On complex effects this leads to shadow or glow. Unfortunately both the cially in BT’s ad for their “Together” the brush size and density while you program so while the features I’ve men- image display quality is patchy, Screen a long delay every time you change an shadow and glow effects seem to be package. In fxPaint you simply use the paint, you have to make a new brush or tioned must have surely be inspired by updates are slow and the low resolution option even if you know there are limited to a preset colour (black and fxAlbum plug-in to make thumbnails of edit one of the current ones to get the the other packages, they are often im- screens make using it a chore. several changes you need to make. white respectively) which limits their all the images you want to make up the effect you want. plemented differently, some times for the With Real Time switched off the effect is usefulness. There is also the option to tiles of your mosaic then while the better, other times not so successfully. Processing only calculated when you click Perform use an alpha channel to mask the Album’s still loaded invoke this effect on Other Features secondary allowing non-rectangular im- At the core of fxPaint is a paint-on image in the effect’s Options window. While your chosen picture. You can set the X fxPaint has the usual selection of image Installation ages to be composed with glows etc. processing engine similar to this method does work, it is not as and Y size of the tiles then fxPaint builds manipulation tools including resize, this could have been very useful with a fxPaint is supplied on CD-ROM and, as Photogenics 2. You can apply fxPaint’s natural as Photogenics which interrupts up the mosaic using the Album image rotate and skew although strangely text alpha channel but we were unable we’ve come to expect, installs very entire range of image processing effects the application of the current effect as closest to the colour of that area of the there is no crop tool. It also includes to get it to work. simply onto your hard drive using the to the image with the painting tools soon as you change an option. fxPaint main image. With the right main image functions to create fractual and fire standard installer. A few example im- provided. Applying a blur, emboss or any has a progress bar at the top of the Bumpmap and a good selection of correctly effects. In addition to this several power- ages are supplied along with a tutorial other effect over just the area you want screen, unfortunately this doesn’t seem coloured images in your album this can ful plug-ins are supplied, the main ones video which accounts for about 222Mb is as easy as selecting the effect and to work when applying effects, it sits at This effect works in a similar way to produce a really good effect. are: of the 276Mb on the CD. The video, painting on the image. Rather than the bottom while an effect is being pro- compose except you can also apply a Although the range of effects provided which is in AVI format, shows creating a directly effecting the image you paint cessed only to jump straight up to 100% bumpmap to the composed image and by fxPaint is certainly impressive many paint-on fire effect but is pretty hopeless onto an invisible layer over it, the when the job is done, not very useful. have a lighting control. Also for this of them do suffer from a lack of flexibility. as there is no commentary and resolu- changes are only made permanent Another annoyance is that fxPaint is not effect the alpha channel feature works Some, such as the distort effect (which tion is too low to see what options are when you click Fix in the toolbar. This multi-threaded, you cannot do anything so you can have bumpmapped, textured has just two types of distort with no being chosen. It would have been nice if means you can erase any mistakes by with the program while it is processing text (or other shapes) floating above strength adjustments) are really crippled, the CD could have been filled with more simply painting over them with the right an effect. To compound this the busy your image complete with shadow or others like the compose effect men- example images, brushes and the like. mouse button or clear everything you pointer is not displayed while the pro- glow. One limitation is that the light tioned above just feel limited. In some have done since the last fix with the gram is locked during processing so it’s source applies to the background too, ways the simpler effects do make the clear layer button. You can also apply an not obvious you can’t do anything until it so to get the bump and shadow effect package easier for the beginner, with Product Information effect on the whole image using the fill has finished. you want often causes heavy shading less potentially confusing options, how- Developer: Innovative layer button. At any point you can adjust on the background that you may not The effects available comprise of all the ever they can be frustrating once you WWW: www.innovative-web.de the settings of the effect applied, change want. Another problem is that the mask standard operators you would expect get going. In the Settings window there Distributor: Blittersoft the paint colour or even change to a dif- isn’t gradual so you get a sharp edge to like emboss, blurs, convolve, and a wide is a user status setting that we hoped Te l: (01908) 610170 ferent effect entirely. fxPaint is limited to your object even if the mask is an- range of colour manipulation options. might simplify the effect options for WWW: www.blittersoft.com a single paint layer so you cannot mix tialaised. This effect is very similar to the There are also some more interesting novices while offering expert users the The fxConv add-on is ideal for Price: £50 effects and keep them all editable. It is excellent CandyFactoryPro but at the effects which include: full range. Unfortunately this does not simple batch file conversions. 20 CLUBBED - Issue 5 Spring 2000 21 REVIEWS REVIEWS

slower, this was particularly noticeable when we tested the packages on an ‘030. All in all this means that some of fxPaint’s slower effects are barely faster running on the PPC than the other two on the ‘060! Ami While fxPaint’s speed is acceptable on ‘060 and probably ‘040 based systems, on slower Amigas where both ImageFX and Photogenics would still be usable it Trade is really too slow for serious use. Another minor niggle is that while fxPaint seems considerably faster under WarpUP, but I could find no easy way to Center force the program to use WarpUP while AmiTradeCenter lets you add commonly the PowerUP libraries are installed. Robert Williams tries out this brand new freeware used FTP servers to a higherarchical Conclusion FTP client. server list. The options for each server are at the top of this window. fxPaint is a reliable, well presented ometimes when you look at the Once the download has started, a com- package with a very wide range of Product Information Aminet recent list you find noth- prehensive window gives you all the in- features, at a good price. I wouldn’t Developer: Matthias Böcker ing of interest, or download an formation you could possibly want in- hesitate to recommend it to anyone who S WWW: www.amisource.de/ATC archive with an interesting description cluding the progress of the current file fxAlbum makes finding and loading a particular image easy. Also shown here are the wants a do-it-all package for basic (for the latest beta) only to find a low quality program, which and the download as a whole and a image processing, cataloguing and Aminet: fxManager, Color manager (palette) and Brush Manager windows. crashes in the first five minutes. Other graphical history of the connection format conversion and has the system to comm/tcp/AmiTradeCenter.lha into the destination directory. A very use- times you download a seemingly in- speed. At any time you can change the fxAlbum run it well. Unfortunately a system that (for the release version) ful tool only limited by the file formats nocuous archive and inside is a real order or remove items from the down- runs fxPaint well really needs an ‘060 Price: Freeware A very handy plug-in that creates a fxPaint supports. gem. AmiTradeCenter (ATC to its load list. Another unusual feature is a and a graphics card, and even then it thumbnail catalogue of all the images in friends) definitely falls into the second speed limiter to stop other Internet pro- doesn’t feel that fast. If you already have a directory. fxAlbum can be set to scan File Support category. since you last looked, vote on your grams being swamped by a large, fast all the sub-directories of the directory an image processor like Photogenics 4 fxPaint covers most of the bases as far a favourite downloads, search for par- FTP download. you choose, so you can easily create a or ImageFX I don’t think you’ll find much ATC is a File Transfer Protocol client, file format support is concerned, with ticular files and much more. On the catalogue of a complete CD or hard in fxPaint’s image processing armoury FTP is used to transfer files between On top of all this functionality ATC has only GIF, PNG and PhotoCD support website front, ATC can upload or down- drive partition. Once the catalogue has that is new. The basic structure of the computers on a network and is very great support via its mailing list where really lacking (although it supports load a whole directory structure to your been created (quite a slow process as program is also less flexible than either popular on the Internet. From an Amiga the author announces a new beta imple- datatypes for loading, including the website in one action, currently it doesn’t each image has to be loaded then of the “big two” with their multi-layer user’s point of view the two most popu- menting user’s requests very regularly. latest OS 3.5 ones). There is no facility support uploading only newer files but scaled down) you can save it to disk and systems. fxPaint is so polished it is hard lar uses of FTP are probably download- The members of the ATC team all seem to save palette based images at all so I’m sure that this will come soon with the recall it later even if the disk containing to remember that this is version 1.0, ing from the massive Aminet archives to have a great sense of humour and you will need an external package if you current rate of development. the images is no longer available. There there are three things I would really like and uploading websites to your ISP. ATC really enjoy what they’re doing which is want to create transparent GIFs, low is also a function to automatically create to see in future versions; better op- has both of these activities well catered The main ATC window contains a really fantastic to read in these days of colour workbench backdrops, game a HTML page with thumbnails for all the timisation (so fxPaint is faster), a more for. For Aminet it offers extensive ADT grouped hot list of all the FTP servers Amiga doom and gloom. Anyone who graphics and the like. images for browsing outside fxPaint responsive GUI and more options for (Aminet Download Tool, enough of these you have configured. The options for the programs an FTP client with built-in (even on other platforms) or for upload- Speed some of the effects. Three Letter Acronyms already!) support current server are set at the top of the Tetris for those long downloads is OK in ing to the Internet. which means you can opt for a list of main window so you don’t have to open my book! One of fxPaint’s big selling points is that files that have been uploaded to Aminet a separate window to change options. Results ATC isn’t perfect, there are a few areas fxImageMap it takes advantage of the latest Amiga There is also a statistics tab so you can that could use minor improvements and add-ons including PPC cards. Both check the performance of a site; this can This plug-in automatically creates the Pros currently the docs are in German only. Haage and Partner’s WarpUP and help you choose the fastest server for HTML code for a client side image map. Wide range of effects But it is so stonkingly at version 1.0 that Phase 5's original PowerUP are sup- large sites like Aminet. This means you can designate hot-spots Useful plug-ins included I’m going to give it Caviar anyway... well ported. While fxPaint definitely uses the on your image which will link to another Very reliable and bug free Connecting to a server opens a separate done Matthias Bocker and the ATC PPC (there is virtually no 68k CPU web page when a user clicks on them in “Trader” window, this means you can crew! usage when the effects are executing) their browser. fxImageMap only supports Cons connect to several servers at once, with- this doesn’t seem to give as much speed rectangular hot-spots but this isn’t a Some effects feel slow even on PPC. out running multiple copies of ATC (al- improvement as you would think. In major problem as they are the most Some effects have limited options. though you can only have one connec- other packages (like Tornado 3D and the commonly used type. GUI can be frustrating. tion per server entry). Once connected Results VisionFX PPC modules for ImageFX) you can choose either a dual column there seems to be a 5-10X increase in fxConv view with a local hard drive directory on speed for processor intensive operations Converting whole directories of images the left and the remote FTP site on the between my ‘060/50 and the This trader window is logged into an into a different file format can be right or just the remote site with the local PPC604e/233. With fxPaint a 2-3X in- Aminet site in ADT mode showing tedious, fxConv to the rescue! This path picked from a popup file requester. crease seems more usual. In most recently uploaded files. You can sort simple plug-in takes a source and des- As you browse the remote directories Caviar cases on a 68K only system fxPaint was the list by clicking the column headings. tination directory then converts all the you can download files at once or add slower than ImageFX and Photogenics images in the source directory to the The small batch download window them to a batch list so you can grab files with similar effects, in some cases much format of your choice and saves them allows you to easily add files to from several directories in one session. download without tricky multiselections. 22 CLUBBED - Issue 5 Spring 2000 23 REVIEWS REVIEWS

between operators is then shown by a line drawn from the output to the input. On the right hand side of the Non-Linear editor are boxes containing the initial The Cube stream input which can be linked into operator the input of one or more operators settings (again by drag and drop) and another Wildfire requester. Output box which you linked from the Robert Williams finds there’s more to final operator. At each stage the operator thumbnail shows the effect of Wildfire than just an animation processor. all the operators applied up to that stage PPC which allows you to see exactly what ildfire’s role in life is to take which creates 3D effects from ting up your input and output options: difference any changes make at each an input which can be an parametrial functions (don’t worry a stage of the process. W animation, sequence of variety of examples7 is supplied, I don’t Linear Effect Editor One major benefit to this method of frames or a single image, apply effects understand what they are either), which In the Linear mode the effects editor is a working over a standard image proces- to each frame and then output a results in some weird abstract shapes. sor is that you can save the current pro- list view into which you drag operators The Linear effects editor with a real-time sequence of frames, animation or in- Water and Waves3D will render your from the Effect Plugins window. The list ject as a “session”. Sessions can then deed a single frame. In Wildfire the data frame as if it were on a rippling lake, shows the effect name, what input(s) it be loaded and applied to a different preview window open. being processed is called a stream, the there’s even a 3D text generator. will get its data from and where the out- input stream at another time, you don’t stream is made up of one or more 8Mb of free RAM. Wildfire is pretty the function of a particular window by Almost all the settings for each operator put will be sent. Also shown is the range have to remember all the steps or frames and can have effects applied to it memory hungry, working on full video or hovering the pointer over a blank part of can be animated. Each operator has an of frames the operator will be applied to. remember to record a macro. by operators before it is out put. At each higher resolution images we oc- the window background. options window controlling its output, all Double clicking on an entry brings up stage of this process Wildfire is very This all sounds pretty complex, and in casionally ran out with 32Mb, on a 64Mb the operators are very flexible and seem the options window for the particular flexible which means it can be used for fact it is hard to take in everything system we had no problems at all. An Conclusion to have all the options you can think of. operator. You can use drag and drop to Wildfire has to offer and not become ‘030 will just about handle the simple 2D a wide range of tasks. For example in Wildfire is great fun to use and you can Each option that takes a numerical value alter the order in which the operators are overwhelmed by the number of options. effects but you as soon as you get into addition to animation processing, you achieve some fantastic effects quiet has a “V” gadget next to it standing for applied. A preview window can be However Wildfire is supplied with the the more complex effects the more can use Wildfire to apply the same easily. Once you climb the initial learning variable. When you click this, the opened which shows the output of the best range of example tutorial material I processor power the better, Wildfire fully effect to a selection of single images, to curve it is actually pretty intuitive but it Variable Select window appears which list of operators at the current frame set have ever seen with an Amiga program. supports PPC boards and many effects convert images from one file format to retains a very high degree of flexibility. allows you to define how this value will by a slider at the bottom of the window. There are literally hundreds of example preview almost in real time on a PPC another or to compile a sequence of My only slight niggle with it is that the change over the course of the anima- The preview is updated as you change projects demonstrating how most of the based system. The 3D effects are par- frames into an MPEG movie. GUI can feel slow at times even on a tion. The variation is defined by a curve the operator options or order, which is effects can be used. All the operators ticularly processor intensive, the fast PPC system because of the real- so you can have an effect which starts really cool except it can introduce which support loading settings seem to documentation recommends an ‘060 or Operators time previews. As a professional anima- slowly and gets faster and faster over severe lag in the GUI with more complex be supplied with a good selection of PPC system if you are using them inten- tion processor it succeeds admirably Wild fire has about a hundred operators the animation. When you define a curve effects. defaults to get you going to. It’s obvious sively and I would certainly agree. A and provides great value for money. which you can apply to your stream, it is listed as a variable in the select that the authors of Wildfire really love graphics card is also very helpful as Wildfire screams out for the non-linear each one is listed in the Effect Plugins window so you can pick it again for Non Linear Effect Editor the program and use it themselves. Wildfire uses a multi-window MUI inter- video editing systems which only just window which also has a thumbnail ex- another option, keeping it in time with The non linear editor is not quite as flex- face with lots of thumbnails. The addi- ample of the selected effect. An started to appear on the Amiga when the first, even one in a different operator. ible as the linear editor but it works in a File Formats tional screen space, more colours and operator does not necessarily apply an the market started to shrink rapidly. For To give an example of the use of vari- more graphical way which is easier to higher speed offered by a graphics card image processing effect (although all the Loaders are supplied for ILBM (IFF), users of lower-end video systems able, all the 3D effects have a page of understand and experiment with. Each screen make a big difference. standard ones are available), there are JPEG, PPM and PNG images and YAFA Wildfire still has a lot to offer and the options which controls the viewing operator is shown as a box with sections operators which load other images into Quicktime, AVI, MPEG1, MPEG2 and YAFA system gets a lot out of a standard angle. You could assign variable to the X for the inputs it needs and a thumbnail Documentation one of seven temporary buffers so they IFF animations. Datatypes are also sup- AGA machine. Additions like the MPEG and Y rotation settings and have your preview of its output. You can make the can later be used by an effect which ported for image loading so most bases The main documentation is supplied as saver opens up use in Internet develop- 3D object spinning on those axes at just output of one operator the input of needs more than one image (for ex- should be covered. Single images can a set of HTML pages which can ment too. It’s even useful for general the speed you want, meanwhile another another by dragging the output ample a compose or cross fade. There be saved in all of the loadable formats accessed through a simple built-in image processing and batch conversion effect could be taking place, for example thumbnail of one operator onto the input are also a wide selection of 3D effects, plus EPS. Animations can be output as HTML viewer or a browser of your operations. Although £100 is quite ex- the texture on the object could be box of another. This relationship these are really stunning and include the MPEG, YAFA and IFF anim, each saver choice. The internal viewer is actually pensive for Amiga software at the mo- changing, this could option to wrap the current frame around has a wide range of options so you can pretty good because it does not have ment I think Wildfire is well worth it if you be in time with the a sphere or cube or indeed any get just the quality to size ratio you lots of buttons, fast links and other clut- have a use for the animation functions. 3D movement, or at Lightwave 3D object (a selection are want. YAFA is a special animation ter which is not needed just to view a whatever speed you supplied). Another cool (although format supported by Wildfire it is very help file. The documents themselves are want. perhaps less useful) effect is ParPlot flexible (now there’s a surprise :) ) allow- quite comprehensive and use a tutorial ing animations to be tailored to the style to introduce you to the different Results So we’ve talked system they will be displayed on, it is aspects of the program. While there is Product Information about the fantastic possible to create full screen animations only a fairly brief description of what effects you can Developer: WK Artworks that will playback smoothly on quite each individual button does and no achieve with Wildfire Distributor: Eyetech basic Amigas as well as ones optimised detailed description of the various but how are they put Te l: (01642) 713185 for playback on graphics cards. effects Wildfire does make extensive together? Two use of MUI’s bubble help feature. A WWW: www.eyetech.co.uk options are offered, Price: £99.95 detailed description of each gadget which you choose Hardware Demo: Available on Aminet: appears if you hover your pointer over it. on the first tab of the To run Wildfire you must have at least biz/demo/Wildfire7_Demo.lha Unusually you can get bubble help about interface while set- The Non Linear effects editor. an AGA machine with an ‘030, FPU and 24 CLUBBED - Issue 5 Spring 2000 25 REVIEWS REVIEWS

gets better as Without doubt the best looking and Mick Sutton reviews the you load up the sounding racing game on the Amiga and game itself. lots of fun to play too! It’s one of those game your PowerPC and Each track is games where you say to yourself just well designed one more go and suddenly find it’s two BVision have been and full of detail o’clock in the morning, just a shame waiting for! with nice there is no two player mode or we would touches like be up all night long! If you’ve got he trains going hardware BUY IT NOW! ver since I have had my PPC and same time (attention Mr Schumacher). over the track. BVision graphics card, my Amiga The craft themselves look a bit like The use of 3D Ehas been screaming out for super powerboats (F1) but are in fact hardware Results something worthy of all this expenditure, zero gravity craft that hover just above makes this look having said that, I have course benefited the ground. As with most of these type miles better Pros from the graphics card immensely par- of games there are power-ups to collect than any previ- Looks brilliant, ticularly when it comes to graphical pro- along the way such as weapons, speed ous 3D Amiga Sounds brilliant, grams such as Photogenics 4 etc, but up and energy shields etc... you get the game, the Plays brilliant! what I really mean is something that will picture! The cool thing is that when you weapons effects use the permedia 2 chips very capable pick up these items a voice over an- for the left and right airbrakes for those are particularly impressive and the Cons 3D hardware acceleration. We (Amiga nounces to you what you have just col- tighter than a ducks arse corners. You vapour trails from the vehicles just look High hardware requirements users) have in the last few years have lected, and if you don’t like the particular will need to set up buttons for both so cool. had fun poked at us when it comes to power-up that you have just obtained airbrakes as mentioned, steer left and The sound effects in this game are games and in particular any 3D environ- then you can dump it and collect a dif- right, up and down (to an extent), throt- almost as impressive as the graphics ment type games, well I can tell you we The initial options window. ferent one... cool! tle, drop weapon and launch weapon. can now at last be in the same league. with very cool tunes playing whilst you There are two modes of play arcade and And the first game that has surfaced to do) then its time to install via the stan- Oh and did I say that this game looks race, although these aren’t the same as time trial with various options of track Caviar use this technology on the Amiga is a dard installer program, there are three the dogs bollocks! With a super smooth the Playstation (The Prodigy etc) version and vehicle type which sets the difficulty Playstation favourite Wipeout 2097. different install options of small 1Mb ex- animation to introduce the game, a good they are pretty damn good all done by level. There are four teams that vary in ecutable only), medium (42Mb every- looking game control and preferences the Psygnosis in house band! As on the ease of control such as the beginner Installation thing except MPEG movies) and full interface, it starts of very well and just PC version. ship which is easier to control but not as (70Mb) with options of icon types to use The game comes on a CD-ROM which fast as the next level and so on. So far I such as Newicons, Glowicons and bog Call or send SAE for has around 77 Mb of data on it, of which have discovered six tracks but for all I free catalogue disk standard 4 colour icons. FORE-MATT Home Computing packed with details on most is the game itself but also included know there may be more to unlock! Pay by credit card and Commercial Software, is the Warp Up and Warp 3D systems Once installed, when you run the game get a free CD-ROM. Dept. C, PO Box 835, Wootton Bassett, Swindon, SN4 8RX CD-ROM, Peripherals, The game itself runs really quite smooth (call for details) and Shareware/Public that the game requires to run. To run this the PowerUp termination requester State Amiga model Domain from only on my 240 Mhz PPC card with no game you need a pretty beefed up appears (if running PowerUp) so that when ordering. [email protected] 60p a disk! noticeable slow up when the screen gets (01793) 853802 system the minimum requirements are WarpUp can take over. The options busy, even with all the detail options as follows, PowerPC processor, window opens which allows you to switched on! There are plenty of options BVisionPPC or CyberVisionPPC or select various options such as screen- if the game feels slow on your particular CyberVision 3D graphics card, 24Mb of mode (I have found 640x480 to be a setup and the options are F1 toggle in- RAM (32Mb or more recommended), good balance between detail and ternal/external views, F2 mouse sen- CD-ROM drive, OS 3.0 (OS 3.1 or better speed), screen buffering which can be Heretic 2 £30 Nightlong £TBA Napalm £28 Myst £25 Quake £15 T-Zero £25 sitivity, F3 draw distance (8 levels), F4 is recommended), CyberGraphX or set to double, triple or window (triple engine trails on/full & off, F5 sky on/off, Picasso 96 (latest versions recom- buffering is smoother but uses more F6 fog effect, F7 filtering (smooths out mended), Warp Up V4, Warp 3D V2 and memory) but to show off to your PC pixelisation), F8 gamma (8 levels), F9 lowlevel.library for joypad support! If you owning mates run it in a window. Other linear or perspective texture mapping meet these requirements (and luckily I options are for audio, you can choose to Simon Sorcerer 2 £25 Virtual GP + VK2 £20 Whales Voyage 2 £15 Best of Gremlin £20 Steel Sky £15 Wipeout 2097 £30 (linear fastest but pants to look at) and use AHI (so it will CDROM GAMES CDROM GAMES CDROM GAMES CDROM GAMES UTILITIES UTILITIES finally F10 dithering on/off, more options take advantage of a A7+ ...... £10 Dragonstone CD32...... £10 OnEscapee ...... £30 Super Methane Bros...... £10 17 Bit Level 6...... £15 GlowIcons ...... £15 that you could shake a stick at. Adventurers Lair...... £20 Eat The Whistle ...... £10 Phoenix Fighters...... £10 Tales From Heaven...... £20 1500 WAV Snd Efx ...... £10 Horror Sensations (18) ...£10 16 bit soundcard) Amiga Classix ...... £15 European Superleague .. £10 Pinball Illusions CD32.....£10 Testament CD...... £10 AGA Toolkit...... £10 Ibrowse 2.x...... £35 Amiga Classix 2 ...... £20 Fears CD32 ...... £10 Premiere CD32 ...... £10 Theme Park CD ...... £10 Amiga Developer 2.1...... £21 Insight Dinosaurs...... £10 or Paula (Amiga The craft itself can be controlled via Arcade Classix +...... £10 Fields of Glory ...... £15 Prey: Alien Encounter.....£10 The Games Room...... £15 Amiga Web Offline ...... £5 LSD 1 or 2 ea...... £15 audio) and whether mouse, keyboard, joystick or joypad and Arcade Classix Mk. 2 ..... £15 Fightin Spirit...... £15 Red Mars...... £15 The Prophet...... £15 Aminet Set 4 - 9 ea ...... £25 Moovid Pro...... £10 Assassins Games 3 ...... £15 Final Odyssey...... £10 Retro Gold...... £10 The Strangers AGA...... £15 Animations CD ...... £15 Multimedia Backdrop...... £15 to play in game several combinations of these too. I Assassins Games 4 ...... £15 Flyin High...... £15 Roadkill CD32 ...... £10 Trivial Pursuit...... £15 Animatic...... £5 Net News Offline v1...... £5 music from CD. have found the best to be the joypad Berties Animal Kgdm ..... £10 Foundation Dir. Cut ...... £15 Samba World Cup...... £10 Turbo Racer 3D ...... £10 Beauty of Chaos...... £5 OS 3.5 ...... £35 Big Red Adventure...... £15 Genetic Species ...... £30 Seaside ...... £15 Ultimate Gloom ...... £10 Blitz Basic 2.1 (ult.) ...... £10 Oxyron Patcher...... £15 control because you can configure eight Black Viper ...... £10 Giana Sisters Trilogy ...... £10 Shadow of 3rd Moon .....£15 Ult. Super Skidmarks ...... £10 CD32 Install Kit ...... £15 PFS2 ...... £25 buttons for various functions and it is Blade ...... £10 Goal! 2000 ...... £15 Shogo PPC (soon)...... £30 Uropa 2...... £10 CybergraphX ...... £25 Red Hat Linux ...... £20 Playing Bubba n Stix CD32 ...... £10 Imperator CD ...... £15 Simon the Sorcerer...... £10 Virtual Ball Fighters...... £15 D-1000 doom data ...... £10 Screen Savers 2 ...... £10 very handy having the shoulder buttons CDS Collection...... £15 Islona Collection...... £20 Sixth Sense Investns ...... £15 Virtual Karting 2 ...... £10 Digital Almanac 2 ...... £25 Sounds Terrific 2 ...... £10 So the game itself Cedric ...... £15 Labyrinth Of Time...... £10 Skeleton Krew CD32 ...... £10 Vital Light...... £10 Emulators Unlimited...... £15 System Booster ...... £10 then is a surreal 3D Chuck Rock 1 & 2 ...... £10 Lure of the Temptress .... £15 Spherical Worlds...... £10 Wasted Dreams...... £25 Extreme CD ...... £15 The Colour Library...... £15 Product Information Civilization AGA/ECS..... £10 Megaball Deluxe...... £15 Sports Mad...... £20 Wembley Int. Soccer...... £10 FXPaint...... £50 Wordworth Office 6 ...... £35 racing game in Dark Seed ...... £10 Moonbases ...... £10 Star Fighter ...... £15 Whales Voyage ...... £10 Gateway v1 (netBSD) .... £10 Wordworth 7...... £40 which the objective Developer: Digital Images Defender of the Crown... £15 Mutantology ...... £10 Street Racer CD...... £10 Word Games ...... £10 Giga Graphics ...... £10 Workbench 3.0 Set ...... £10 Doom Trilogy ...... £15 Naughty Ones CD32 ...... £10 Superfrog ...... £10 Zombie Massacre{18}.....£15 Giga PD v3 (3Cdset)...... £5 Zoom 2 ...... £15 is to win funnily Available: Forematt Home Comp. enough, but not just & most games dealers Over 1000 Amiga titles available new and second hand on CDROM & floppy disk. win but to kill your WWW: www.di-games.co.uk opponents at the Price: £30 www.forematt.free-online.co.uk 26 CLUBBED - Issue 5 Spring 2000 27 REVIEWS SUPPORT Grand TV VGA PAL Amazing! Convert VGA from2 your graphics-card, to PAL for your TV and VCR... and keep the colours.

Gary Storm tries out this or the WoA show, I did my best Ingredients we checked, as the VGA2PAL would (with much help from many have been FRIED2FUCK, as we found 1x VGA2PAL card. snappily named gadget now sources) to get together material out that National Amiga had it back- F 1x Power Splitter. to edit for the production of a video to be wards on the +5 and +12 power front available at a bargain price. Maplin Part No. DG43W - £2.99 shown. It came out OK, but nothing bril- from the splitter. DOH! To save having to 1x 8bit ISA connector (62pin edge). ick of “Eastenders” and “Days of skip any unused channels and get liant. The main reason was because the do it all over again, we took the power- Maplin Part No. JC03D - £1.45 Our Lives”? Get TV-Amazing and straight to the good ones. Connections material was limited to demos (thanks a spiltter's head apart, and swapped the watch “Voyager” on your Amiga lot to Phillippe Ferucci and Julian Multimeter, soldering iron, solder, red and yellow wires around... which is S Reception strength is obviously purely monitor instead. Sadotti), and stuff I managed to grab some wire, and a steady hand. why you see that the red wire is a +12V, up to the area you live in, and the aerial from real videos made by IOM produc- and the yellow wire is the +5V in this As you'll read elsewhere in this mag, I you use. I bought a £15 portable aerial tions (Amiga videos) and Nova Design A little bit of research on the Internet case. Slightly backward, thanks to a cer- was desperately seeking a VGA-PAL from Tandy, which, although funky- (ImageFX/Aladdin 4D promo video). later (The Hardware Book, tain misinformation. converter, to record 24 bit colour from looking... isn't brilliant (unless you love http://www.blackdown.org/~hwb/), and the graphics card output to a VCR. At snow). A signal booster is on the shop- Grabbing normal video from the Amiga Anyway... Mick cleaned up after doing Side View we found the pin-outs for the ISA con- WoA '99 I spotted the TV Amazing being ping list, as well as some cable and (via the composite port, or the monitor the dirty deed, and we tested out the and composite showing video S-video inputs nector that we needed, telling us which sold by Gasteiner, and it seemed possi- adaptor so I can run the cable-TV port if you have a SCART lead) is fine, beast in Rob's A3000 via his graphics each with a set of stereo audio inputs. pins chucked through which power. After ble that any beast that could convert upstairs as well (although I'll be limited but you're limited to 256 colours, and card output to the TV. And it worked! inspecting the tracks active on the ISA PAL to be viewable on a VGA monitor, to having to watch whatever channel is PAL resolutions. You also can't record Well, actually, it kind of worked. The slot on the VGA2PAL, we were happy to could do the opposite too. Gasteiner selected downstairs). any software that normally utilises the VGA2PAL is supposed to be able to find that it only needs ground and +5 said it was possible too. Cool... it was graphics card, without going through the convert the 1280x1024 mode, but... we TV-Amazing also has 2 other AV-inputs volts. Phew... full steam ahead then. mine. hassle of changing each screen to a don't think so! Couldn't get that one (AV-1 and AV-2... perfect for your video Rear View PAL mode, and going back to 8bit so We then needed to find out what power going at all, although it was great in The TV-Amazing comprises of itself camera, or watching video's via VCR showing DC power input, TV ariel input, computer audio input, that it goes through the normal monitor the wires on the power splitter were. 800x600 and 640x480 modes... 24 bit (and power converter), a 3-way (kinky) etc.), an S-Video input (S-Video is for audio output, VGA pass through port. Pain in the ass, and doesn't show Eventually we found the reference colour on your TV, ready to be recorded video lead, remote control, and a very better quality video, but doesn't have (uses “Y” lead on the single socket) off the software to its full effect. material at an Amiga site in Canada for your video masterpiece. Fantastic! I sparse manual. The manual isn't really audio), and audio in and out. Each of (www.nationalamiga.com). A quick call e-mailed Applied Technology about the needed (luckily), as it's very simple to these is easily selectable via the remote and composite video output. I would have loved to grab video from to Mick, and he rushed over to do the missing mode but they didn't reply. whack together. Stick one end of the or the TV-Amazing itself. It came in very the graphics card, but I found out nearly deed. Before he did that though, he video cable in the back of your TV- useful at a SEAL meeting where we that you have to unplug the audio lead all the VGA to PAL converters were PC Rob's only gripe (apart from the non soldered (with a little difficulty as the Amazing, another into the gfx card or played a WoA '99 video on Rob's 17" to hear your Amiga sounds (if you're only, as they relied on PC software. The 1280x1024 mode... which to be honest, pins are so small, and we went cheap by monitor output of the Amiga, and the monitor. Much better than lugging an using the same speakers). Oh, also that cheapest non-software driven beast I isn't totally necessary, as you'd want to cutting and using the thick wire from the final plug into the monitor input. Plug in extra TV around. A brilliant bonus of the from what we've tried so far it doesn't found was £200. Geez! use 800x600 at the most. Any higher unused bit of the splitter. Mick did cut the power lead, aerial, and batteries AV-1 composite input is that you can convert VGA to PAL, which is the main than that and the PAL recording will be A couple of months after the show, and half the diameter of the wire out though, (supplied) into the remote... and away plug your AGA composite output into it, reason I bought it. Bummer. pretty blurry as it has to squeeze the luckily Rob discovers a converter in to make it slightly easier) the relevant you go. and when selected, displays those non- VGA mode down to PAL's 640x480 However, that doesn't take away the fact Maplins that doesn't seem to rely on any powered wires from the splitter to the gfx card modes on your monitor... so TV- anyway), was that his monitor display It's simply a case of pressing the TV/PC that the TV-Amazing does exactly what software... the VGA2PAL from Applied associated pins on the ISA connector. Amazing is a 'B-Mon' and scan-doubler was a little blurry with the VGA2PAL in button to swap between um, oh yeah... it's supposed to do (and more), and it Technology. It was only £30 for the Doing the Earths was a little harder, as in one as well (so it'll save you 40 quid control. I didn't have this problem at on TV and PC screens. While on the TV does it very well and very easily. 640x480 version, and £80 for the there were three, and they all had to be at least). I reviewed T-Zero using this my 1200 though. My only duh! for screen, press the 'update' button on the 1280x1024/800x600/640x480 flavour. connected. Some deft cutting, bending method... fantastic. VGA2PAL is in the 2m VGA pass- remote control, and TV Amazing will The only possible scuppering could be and soldering was required, and Mick through lead that's supplied, as it's way search through the signal spectrum and It's an excellent thing to have around that it connected via an ISA bus. did the trick (if messy by his standards). too long for a video signal to retain it's store the strongest signals to some of when you want to watch some decent Hmm. We knew we could power the It’s at this point that we powered the ISA clarity for recording. The best thing to do it's 60 channels. When pressing up or TV, or (more likely) you're waiting for Results board with a little bit of a fiddle with the connector, and Mick tested the voltage is to go to Maplins, buy the two ends down on the remote, TV Amazing will that render/animation/CD- ISA connector, but would the board want of his handiwork with a multi-meter, to and some decent cable, and make up burning/downloading to finish. more than just the power? double-check the power supply. Lucky your own high-quality video lead. Product Information The only problems I've encountered with WARNING: Please note if you decide to carry out this project you do so at your Ultimately, the VGA2PAL is an excellent Distributor: Gasteiner this box of TV tricks, is that the video own risk. We cannot be responsible for any damage you may do you your equip- solution for video-makers who want to Te l: (020) 8345 6000 cable that connects to the Amiga moni- Caviar ment or, more importantly, yourself. While we have done our best to ensure the get the best quality output from their WWW: tor output is a tad short, which means above details are accurate we are not responsible for any errors, we recommend graphics card equipped Amigas. www.gasteiner.com the TV-Amazing can be a little awkward you research the necessary information yourself and when you have built the pro- Price: about £50 to get straight, depending on your set-up ject double check your work with a multimeter before connecting it up. (not the end of the world though), and 28 CLUBBED - Issue 5 Spring 2000 29 SUPPORT SUPPORT

4, HDToolBox will then search the interface you selected, the others following on in series (DH1, DH2 etc.) New par- when the search is completed a list of Hard Drives in System titions you add will be called CHANGE_ME by default, make is shown. Look in the list for the drive you have just added, it sure you do, also check you don’t have two partitions with the will be listed as Unknown in the Status column and will same name. probably have the manufacturer’s name in the Drive Type Bootable: If you want your Amiga to boot from a partition make ’ column. Select the new drive by clicking on it’s list entry. Hard Drivin sure you check (click on the box to put a tick in it) the Bootable A hard drive is esential for any Amiga user, option, usually just one partition would be bootable and this is Robert Williams investigates which drives can be where you install Workbench. To get the best performance and avoid some potential used and walks you through setting one up. problems it is a good idea to alter some of the advanced his feature is designed to help generally much more expensive than we have people options. To do this click on the Advanced Options check box, you choose and install a hard similar sized IDE drives and are a bit using Seagate, Quantum, extra settings appear in the window. Tdisk in your Amiga. Because this more complicated to setup, if you have a Maxtor and Fujitsu (and 5, Now we need to get the information on the size of the drive, Buffers: This is an area of memory that the file system will use is quite a complex topic I have decided good SCSI interface you will have to probably others) drives with no with the new drive selected click on the Change Drive Type to speed up hard disk access, each buffer used some memory to cover it in two parts, this first one ex- decide if the extra speed is worth it. problems. Each maker has a range of button. On the Select a Drive Type screen click Define New (512bytes by default) so the default 30 buffers is only 15Kb. If plains the basics of choosing a drive, models at different speeds and price (NOTE leave the Drive Types: cycle gadget set to SCSI even if you have a reasonable amount of memory it’s a good idea to and preparing it for use. Next issue I’ll What Size? points. To be honest most Amiga inter- you are installing an IDE drive), then on the Define a New increase this value to at least 100 (50Kb). go into more detail on dealing with large faces won’t come any where near ex- Articles of this type always used to Drive Type screen click Read Configuration. This will read the drives and alternative file systems. ploiting the full speed to even the File System: Change: Click this button to get a page of file recommend you buy the biggest hard details of the drive. If your drive is greater than 4.3Gb versions cheaper drives so don’t spend extra on system options: drive you could afford, however with of HDToolBox prior to 3.5 can show a small or even negative a high performance model unless you Choosing a Hard Drive 20Gb IDE hard drives now going for less value for Size:, ignore this it is a display glitch and will not have a fast SCSI or IDE interface (more than £150 this is no longer the case. cause problems. What Interface? on those next issue). There are two reasons behind this, firstly The most commonly used Amiga these 6, Once you have read the configuration click Ok twice to get most Amiga programs and data files are IDE drives all use the same 40 way con- days is the A1200 which has a built in back to the main screen. Now with the drive still selected click smaller than their PC counterparts so necting cable and are backwards com- IDE interface, this allows you to use on the Partition Drive button. The Partitioning Drive screen most people just don’t need a huge patible so you can just get any drive almost any IDE (also known as ATA) or appears where you can define the partitions on your drive. At drive. Secondly out of the box the Amiga which takes your fancy. EIDE hard drive. IDE hard drives are the top of the window the long bar represents the capacity of cannot utilise drives bigger than 4Gb. So Max Transfer: The default value of 0xffffff can cause problems generally cheap to buy and simple to SCSI drives are a bit more complicated, your hard drive, it is split into sections showing the partition I would suggest that unless you need with some IDE hard disks (files become corrupted when you setup, however the A1200's built in IDE all the standards are backwards compat- sizes, by default there are two equal sized partitions. huge amounts of space save yourself a copy them) so it is wise to always set this to the lower value of is slow compared to more modern inter- ible so you can buy a SCSI III or Ultra few quid and go for something around IMPORTANT NOTES: Unless you are using a file system and 0x1fe00. faces and most SCSI implementations. SCSI drive and attach it to an old SCSI I the 4Gb mark, you may find drives this device driver that supports it you cannot use more than 4Gb of SCSI (Small Computer Systems controller. However there are also File system block size: Setting this to 1024 from the default of small are just not available, if that is the space on any hard disk. 4Gb is 4096Mb so if your disk is Interface) can be used for connecting a narrow and wide versions. Wide SCSI 512 will considerably improve performance particularly on case you can still use a bigger disk but bigger than this make sure the total size of all your partitions is variety of devices, including hard drives, uses a 68pin connector, the only Amiga deleting files. only partition 4Gb of it. We’ll have more less than 4096 Meg (I would leave a few Mb spare to allow for to a computer. There are various SCSI controllers which uses this are on the information on using hard drives bigger rounding errors). It is good practice to make partitions 2Gb Once you’ve finished setting the file system options for a parti- controllers available for the Amiga, Phase 5 CyberStorm PPC and MkIII ac- than 4Gb in the next issue of Clubbed. (2048 Meg) or smaller as this is the largest file size allowed tion click Ok to get back to the Partitioning screen. these range from similar in speed to the celerators, all other Amiga controllers under the Fast File System. A1200's IDE to many times faster. If you What Maker and Model? use 50 pin narrow connections. You can 9, When you have checked these settings for ALL the par- have a SCSI interface on your ac- buy adaptors to connect a 68pin device 7, Alter the partition sizes by clicking on the partition you want titions on the drive Click Ok to get back to the main screen, celerator or a Zorro III SCSI card it will There are six or seven major hard drive to a 50pin bus but these can be quite to change then drag the arrow to get the size you want. To add now click Save Changes to Drive to do just that, a warning almost certainly be much faster than the manufacturers all of whom now produce expensive (£15-20). a new partition, size the existing ones to clear some space, requester will come up if you had any existing partitions on the built-in IDE. SCSI hard drives are pretty good reliable drives. Within SEAL then click New Partition and finally click in the space you want drive which will be destroyed. Click Ok if you’re happy, then the new partition to occupy. To delete a partition click on it then HDToolBox will ask you to reboot your system, make sure press the Delete Partition button. NOTE: No changes are nothing else is running, ensure the Install disk is still in the made to the drive until you Click Ok and then Save Changes to drive then click Reboot. Preparing a Hard Drive Tutorial Drive on the main screen so don’t worry if you make a mistake 10, Once the system has rebooted you should see an icon on his tutorial will guide you through installing a new hard HDTools and Ram Disk windows then drag the HDToolBox at this stage. drive on your Amiga. It assumes you don’t currently icon to the Ram Disk window, the file will be copied. the Workbench for each of the new partitions you created each have a hard drive installed, or you want to start from 8, For each partition you have created you need to alter the of these partitions needs to be formatted, just like you would T 3. If your new hard disk is connected to the Amiga’s built-in scratch by installing Workbench on your new hard disk. If you settings, for this click on the partition then check and if neces- do with a floppy disk. So click on each icon, select Format disk IDE (or SCSI if you have an A3000) interface simply double are adding an additional hard disk to your Amiga follow the sary alter the following options: from the Workbench Icon menu. In the format requester enter click the HDToolBox icon to run the program. If your hard disk steps from number 3. a name for the partition (this is usually a descriptive name is connected to a different interface you need to tell relating to what you will use it for). If you don’t use it you can 1. Install the new hard drive physically in your Amiga, then in- HDToolBox where to look for it. Click once on the HDToolBox switch off Put Trashcan, switch on Fast File System and sert the Install disk in the floppy drive and turn the machine on. icon in the Ram Disk then choose Information from the Icons International Mode, DO NOT switch on Directory Cache for Within a few seconds you should see a grey Workbench menu. In the tooltypes section change (or add if it’s not there) hard disks. screen with an icon for the Install disk. the line SCSI_DEVCE_NAME=mydevice.device where mydevice.device is the name of the device driver your hard 11, When each disk has been formatted you can begin to use 2. Open the Install disk by double clicking on its icon then drive controller uses. This name should be in the documenta- them as any other disk. If you want to install Workbench on to open the HDTools drawer in the window that appears. In the tion for your controller, we also had a list of the more common one of your new partitions open the Install drawer on your HDTools window you should see an HDToolBox icon. Now ones on page 16 of Clubbed issue 4. Once you have this set Partition Device Name: This is a short identifier for the partition Install disk and run the installation in the language of your double click on the Ram Disk icon which should also be on the correctly click Save in the information window then start (you can give it a more descriptive volume name later). choice. Remember to install onto the partition you made Workbench. Move the windows so you can see both the HDToolBox. Usually the first partition is called DH0 (Disk Hard Zero) with bootable, the installer should select this automatically. 30 CLUBBED - Issue 5 Spring 2000 31 SUPPORT SUPPORT

WARNING! If you type the arguments in the tem- Which will list all the files in the root Useful options include: plate order you do not need to specify directory of your boot partition. ALL Scans all the subdirectories within Some of the commands listed here their keywords, just the value you want Useful options include: the specified directory for files and are potentially destructive, the nature to use (unless the keyword if followed by Back to Basics directories to delete. of the shell is that they don’t usually /K). If you do specify the keyword before SINCE Allows you to list only 3.1: Intorduction to the Shell have the “Are You Sure” messages the value for all the arguments you can files created or modified Example: most Workbench commands use. For type them in any order you choose (an after the specified date. delete ram:test ALL example the delete command will argument followed by a /F must always ALL List scans all the sub- What scares inexperienced Amiga users but is delete the file you specify as soon as be the last on the command line). directories of the speci- Deletes the directory test in ram: and all actually quite warm and friendly when you get to you press Enter, take care to double fied directory. the subdirectories and files within it. If check your command line before ex- Common Commands FILES Lists only files. test were a file or an empty directory the know it? The AmigaDOS shell of course, Robert ecuting it. If you’re not sure which DIRS Lists only directories. ALL keyword would not be required. There are many AmigaDOS commands Williams abandons analogies to find out more... files a command will effect try using the same path (and the ALL keyword and each one has many options, there’s Using the Shell if needed) with the list command. no way I could cover even one or two Example: he shell gives you access to the mand and the options tell the command commands in depth here. Therefore I The shell has various short cuts that list sys: ALL SINCE yesterday Amiga’s command line interface. exactly how you want the task per- Getting information have chosen three useful commands make entering commands easier, firstly TThis is another method of con- formed. Here is a typical command line: and mentioned their basic usage, I hope Lists all the files and all the directories in there are a full set of editing functions. trolling the Amiga which, unlike the list ram: DIRS about a command. this will encourage you to grab an your boot partition which have been You can use the left and right arrow Workbench, uses text commands rather Almost all commands contain some in- AmigaDOS book and learn more. modified since yesterday. keys, back space and delete as you than windows, icons and menus Where list is the command, ram: is an formation about how they are used, this would in a word processor to correct any manipulated with the mouse. One of the argument, in this case the directory to list assign can vary from a rather cryptic line listing errors you make. There are also plenty nice things about the Amiga is that you list and DIRS is an option telling the all the possible options to quite a This complex command allows you to Controls the assignment of logical of special editing short cuts, here are can use any combination of the shell command to list only directories. some of the most useful: verbose text. Most commands written list the files and subdirectories within a device names to target directories or and Workbench that you like, you may When you enter a command the Amiga specifically for the Amiga will give you directory or volume. Its most simple use files. Assigning a logical device name to find some activities are easier from a Ctrl + X Clears the command line. looks first in the resident list, this is a list this help if you enter them with a “?” as is list for example: a directory or file with a complex path shell and others from the Workbench. If Ctrl + K Deletes everything from the of commands available in ROM and any their only option, for example entering: allows you to refer to it more easily. cursor to the end of the com- you install KingCON the shell is even list sys: loaded into RAM using the resident Installers often add assign statements to mand line. better integrated with the Workbench. dir ? command. To get a list of all the resident the start-up files so the program can find Ctrl + U Deletes everything from the commands enter the following in a shell: returns Paths its data files. Entering assign alone will cursor to the beginning of the Opening a Shell list all the volumes, assigns and devices resident DIR,OPT/K,ALL/S,DIRS/S,FILES/S, command line. Double click the Shell icon in the One of the concepts you need to un- available on the system. INTER/S: System drawer of your Workbench parti- If the command is not found in the resi- derstand before using shell com- Useful options include: Probably the most important time saver tion. dent list the Amiga looks in a list of Another common type of 3rd party com- mands is that of paths. The path to a is the history feature, pressing the up directories called the search path, this is mand are programs ported from Unix file is the full list of the drive and all ADD Adds an additional target to To open a new shell window from an set using the path command. Enter: and similar systems, with these the -h the directories you need to go the assign, both targets will arrow on your keyboard will recall the existing one or from the Workbench option will usually get you some help: through to get to that file. The volume be searched for a specified last command you entered, keep press- Execute Command requester type new- path name is followed by a colon (:) and file. ing up to step back through the history shell and press return. gzip -h to see a list of the directories on the each directory is followed by a for- REMOVE Deletes a target name from of commands you executed this session. Once you have recalled a command search path. Notice that the cur- returns ward slash (/). So the path to a file the assign list. Command Lines similar to the one you want to execute rent_directory is listed at the top of the called test, within a drawer called DEFER This option creates a late- usage: gzip [-cdfhlLnNrtvV19] you can edit it then press Enter to exe- In a shell window you type a command search path so a command there will be Documents which is within a drawer binding assign, this means [-S suffix] [file ...]...and a list cute. line and press enter to perform an ac- found. Most commands (including 3rd called Files on a volume called Work the logical device will not be of all the options with a description. tion. A command line consists of three party ones not supplied with the OS) are would be: created until it is specifically parts, the command, its options and ar- requested. The DEFER op- KingCON kept in the C: directory, enter: The information returned by Amiga style Work:Files/Documents/Test guments. A command is a program, commands follows a standard format tion can be used to prevent While the Amiga shell contains a lot of list c: stored either in ROM or on disk, which called the command template. A list of This is called an fully qualified or ab- logical devices cluttering file nice features and is far better than DOS performs an action. Arguments are addi- to see a listing of all the files in your C: keywords is returned each representing solute path, it tells you exactly where requesters etc. on a PC there’s plenty of room for im- tional information required by the com- directory. an argument or option. The keywords the file is. To save some typing you Example: provement. KingCON gives your shell can also use a relative path in the are separated by commas and each is assign MyProject: window far more features and is espe- shell, this describes where the file is followed by a letter (or letters) identifying Work:Files/Documents/Project/ cially useful as it integrates with Anatomy of a Shell how it is used. relative to the current directory. By Workbench. As KingCON was reviewed l s Iconify*,Close Zoom, Depth default the current directory is shown This command line assigns the logical in Clubbed issue one I won’t go into too /A This argument is always required. in the prompt, behind a “>“ symbol, device name “MyProject:“ to the speci- much detail here however it’s key /K You must precede this argument with entering cd alone will return the cur- fied directory. Picking “MyProject:“ in a features are a scroll bar which allows its keyword. rent directory. You can change the file requester’s volumes list would take you to scroll back through long com- /S This option is a switch, if you specify current directory by entering: you straight to that directory as would mand outputs, Tab file completion which Command Line it the function it represents will be entering cd MyProject: in a shell. completes the current file name when active. cd you press tab or presents a list if there /N Argument is numeric, a number. delete Taking the example file above again are multiple matches and drag and drop /M Multiple items are accepted for this of the current directory were As you would expect this command support so dropping a file icon onto the argument. Work:Files we could refer to our deletes the specified files from disk, this shell window inserts the icon’s path at Command /F This must be the final argument on document as: command does not give you any war- the cursor position on the command line. Argument Option the command line. Documents/Test nings so be careful when using it. Gadgets marked “*” added by KingCON.Keyword and Argument 32 Command CLUBBED - Issue 5 Spring 2000 33 Output

Size and Scroll bar* SUPPORT SUPPORT

You may at this point wish to save this to disk also drag the other three to tint the texture) in check World co-ordinates are selected. Then just in case. Choose Save As from the the example sphere at the top of the reques- click on the Rotate icon, make sure the Y Project menu, give it a suitable name then ter, I dragged it right down to 0%. When button is the only one selected. Now click click OK. It is always a good idea to save you’re happy click OK. Now our texture is and hold with the left mouse button in the periodically! ready we have to assign it to the table object, perspective window and drag one way or the as the table is still selected right click on the other. It does not matter which. Drag the Our table top is a bit dull, even on a basic Wood sphere in the Material Manager and mouse to rotate the scene 90 degrees. I have Cinema Tutorial 1200 setup you should have enough memory choose Assign. left mine so that it does not quite go the full By Robert Tiffen with this project to give it a texture. From the 90, so as to have a more natural feel to the Window menu select Material Manager and If you purchased the full CD edition his tutorial will be primarily based on view. You will notice that it has several seg- TIP final result. Try tipping the scene away from 4D push the resulting window out of the way. of Cinema4D then go to the the Cinema 4D package. This is ments i.e. it is a plane made up of several you by deselecting the Y and select either X Remember you must be running C4D on a Material/Load menu then select WOOD.C4D simply because; everyone has got it smaller planes. If you can’t see it very well, or Z. This gives the impression that you are T 256 colour screen for this to work. Then from in the Bonus/Materials drawer. You will then (it’s been on several cover disks), it was very then zoom in by clicking and holding the right sitting at a table looking down at it. Well that’s the Material menu select New and after a have more wood textures in the Material inexpensive, it’s very easy to use and ex- mouse button over the magnify icon in the the table top. Now something to put on it. A couple of seconds (on my 030 anyway) you Manager than you can shake a stick at. I tremely versatile. What more could you ask? tool bar and choose Active Object from the piece of paper! pop-up menu. Now all these extra squares will see a rather bland looking sphere called used SPRUCE.01 from this plethora. Well what shall we create? Something take up extra memory in the computer and on new in the material window. Left click the straightforward and based around South Now is a good time to do a quick render. If The Piece of Paper disk. Because 3D can be very memory in- sphere to select it, indicated by the word new Essex Amiga Link. I will not be covering you look at the render icon on the button bar Another plane is needed so select tensive it is a good idea to get into the habit turning red. Then right click over the sphere menu’s in detail, just the ones we need to you will notice it has a small black triangle at Object/Primitives/Plane menu item, but of using the simplest objects possible, so and select Rename and in the Name box fiddle with. I have tried to write this as though the bottom right corner indicating further remember to hold down the shift key. If you delete the plane by pressing Del on the key- type Wood, Table or Top or some such, so as you are not in possession of the manual. As I selections with the right mouse button. So are following this tutorial in one sitting, then board and start again. This time hold down to easily identify it later. Now right click the assume you would not need a tutorial if you right click on it and select Scanline from the without holding shift down you will get your the shift key while selecting Plane to get the sphere again this time selecting Edit. were. The C4D manual is very clear and has pop-up menu. In the Scanline window make adjusted plane. i.e. a plane made of a single requester up. The last two items, width- some excellent tutorials. This should be In the Texture section at the bottom of the sure that Resolution is set to 1/1 Pict. and square, but we don’t want that this time! So manager. I find it helpful to be able to get an segments and depth-segments are set to 12 enough to get you started with most projects. resultant requester click on the file requester Aspect ratio is set to 4:3. Then click on the readjust the Width and Depth Segments idea of what objects will be like when each thereby in fact giving you 144 squares. So I thought a picture of an old fashioned icon and locate a suitable wood texture. You Screenmode button at the top and choose a boxes back to 12, because this time we are rendered. OK. So it uses more of your chip Left click in each box and change the settings scroll of paper with an equally old fashioned could make one in a paint package, DPaintV fairly low resolution screen with 256 colours going to try and make this plane look like a of ram. If your project is getting close to your to 1, now click OK and the new simple plane wax seal at the bottom in close-up, just to being excellent for this, or find something on for a quick render, I choose PAL:Hires, click crumpled/folded paper. Firstly we need to re- maximum memory then you may not have appears. If you fancy trying to save both of save unnecessary clutter and so as to see a cover CD or possibly disk. If you have on Render. A small window appears, you can size the paper so it looks right on the table so enough to render it and reducing screen these objects you will find the preset version detail. Cinema4D from CUAmiga CD 27 try Oak in click on Show frame straight away to see the click on the Object icon. This is to select the colours won’t make much difference. But this about 3 times the size of the adjusted one, so the Textures drawer. The image you have image being rendered. After a few minutes, object only, as we don’t wish to enlarge the First set-up your editor preferences to your is where C4D has an advantage over other don’t always accept the defaults the software chosen should now appear in the preview unless you have a fast processor, you will whole scene. Next select the Scale icon. Now own specifications (Menu packages in that there is a separate render- offers. You can save yourself a lot of grief by window just to the right of the file gadget. see your complete picture. Click the left Project/Settings/Editor Preferences). From ing utility. Also from the Editor Preferences choosing Rectangle instead of Plane but it Drag the bottom slider in the colour section mouse button to get back to the Cinema here select a screen mode that you prefer, you can untick the workbench box to switch it gets us used to using the program. down until the texture looks good (you can screen. Mine is just high res, but choose a 256 colour off or you could run C4D on the workbench This square is going to be a table top. It will, mode. If you do choose a different screen screen by selecting it in the screen mode Now something isn’t quite right, wood grain for the sake of simplicity, and keeping mode i.e. a laced mode then the layout of requester (first item). Once everything is set looks like it is bursting out from the centre of memory requirements low, be our main back- certain things will also be different, in par- up the way you want, just save the settings. the plane. To correct this we need to tell drop and fill the screen. To this end, we ticular the icon strip on the left, and you may Cinema what shape of object the texture is You should now be on the main C4D screen. should first of all enlarge the plane to make it have trouble keeping track of icons I mention. being applied to, the default is a sphere On the right is a large window, probably more easily fill the screen. To do this the You will need 256 colours for the material where as we have a plane. Choose Texture named untitled. On the left is a window filled object needs to be selected. This is easy Bar from the Window menu, another tool bar with icons, the eye, P, right arrow and XYZ because this is our only object so far, and is appears, at the top left the sphere icon is are already selected. The selected P icon already selected. Next the whole scene probably selected, so click on the square Tool Bar denotes which view you see in the right-hand needs to be rotated. Make sure the co- (plane) icon also make sure the chequer window. XY, XZ and ZY are flat views of your ordinates gadget is set to World and Edit board icon is selected too. Now do another scene P is the perspective view from the work area (Eye) button is selected. To rotate scanline render... much better, but to my mind camera i.e. this is the finished view, the one this left click on the Rotate button. Now left with the settingsThe Material I used Editorfor the table top. I don’t think the grain on the wood should run Work area edit Point edit which will be rendered as the final picture. If click and drag in the perspective window, the vertically. Click on the Work Area icon and you just need to view the scene or objects whole scene rotates in all directions. Aim to The paper object after the Object edit Object axis edit from a different angle temporarily then use get the grid bars aligned with the screen the 3D icon. You can move in this view as vertically and horizontally as if you were look- Crumple operation. Object texture Texture Problems? Texture axis edit edit much as you like without affecting the result ing directly down on your table top. This does of the way the perspective/camera view is set not need to be exact. If you have trouble with Inverse If your piece of paper or table top looks relationship to the plane it is supposed to Have you got the Texture bar open? If not Rotate Kinematics up. If you find you like how the picture is everything rotating at once try deselecting more like it has been tie dyed with streaks of cover. In my project the texture plane is then open it. First left click on the centre setup in the 3D view you can transfer the two of the axes by left clicking in the Y and Z colour rather than a texture you have hit a elongated and perpendicular to the central right icon that looks like two intersecting Move Scale camera information by selecting Camera/3D axes then rotate the X axis. Selecting one at quirk of Cinema 4D rather than an actual axis. lines with the angle indicated. Then left click to Perspective from the Extra menu and vice a time until you have a passable vertical X, Y and Z axes bug. Somewhat disconcerting if you are a on the icon just to its left that looks a bit like Co-ordinate versa. view. Our table top is a bit small so left click system beginner to C4D all the same, as it is not a screen suffering from pincushion effect on the Object icon, you will notice the co- A quick word about menus, some menu items what is expected. One would think that if with four arrows pointing at it. Now this tex- Magnify ordinates gadget change from World to The texture plane for the paper have a full stop after them, these have you had a flat texture (it has to be said that ture looks a little more like it’s covering our Object. With the Object icon selected our default values but can be changed. Just hold textures are ever only 2D, otherwise we object adjusted so it lies flat. plane. Mine is was still not quite straight. I Render actions will now effect just the currently Open display down a shift key and select the menu item, a would not even need C4D) and a flat plane had to click on ROTATE in the left icon strip parameters selected object, not the whole scene. Next that C4D would stamp it down flat and not and twist it slightly around the Z axis and ZY (side) view requester will pop-up with the values that can select the Scale icon, click and drag in the try to balance it on it’s side, rather like trying sort of flip it up around the X axis. There are Redraw be altered. perspective window until our plane is a bit to stand a playing card on it edge on a also items in the Extra/Texture sub menu’s 3D (editor) view larger than the window so that you can no table. To get back on track press the 3D that should, I would have thought, help but I XY (font) view Table Top Perspective longer see the lines that made it up. But you button in the tool bar, then zoom out so you could not get them to do anything. Now back to our project. First we need to (camera) view can still see the axes. can see the whole object. Now click the XZ (top) view create a table top type object. So select I do realise that all of this is a little more Texture Axis button and two things happen. Objects/Primitives/Plane. You can also use When dragging the mouse in the complicated than would be ideal. So if you Combined 3D, NOTE main window to perform an opera- One the plane that is our sheet of paper top, side and key combinations, if you prefer, for a lot of are having trouble with this I would re-read changes to the unselected colour and front view menu items, the Plane key combination is tion like rotate or scale make sure the pointer this box out and take plenty of time to ex- another plane appears. This other plane is ALT+7. If you have done this, you will now starts in a clear area, if you click the central periment with the options, making several our texture and as you can see bears little have a simple flat surface in the perspective black dot of an object you will select it rather test renders to see the effect. than performing the desired operation. 34 CLUBBED - Issue 5 Spring 2000 35 SUPPORT SUPPORT

I made my “sheet of paper” larger than the keyboard, and click on paper in the left hand Sphere from the Object/Primitives menu and a progress bar will give an indication of, board type an “@” symbol. Press on Text in the “@” and the wax. Try to imagine it as a window again so as to appear to be in tight list and Material in the selectors on the far remembering to hold down the shift key. In well progress. Not very long even on my 030. 3D to Cinema and in a few seconds you are solid object that if you were to pour a liquid in close-up, as I believe they say in movie left. Another window pops up and paper the window click on Perfect Sphere to un- Press V to open the Object Manager and you returned to the main C4D screen with an it would not run out of the bottom. Pay par- making circle’s. We could after all develop should be highlighted there. If not make sure check it. Then change the number of will see that you now have three objects, Extrude Object requester. In this requester ticular attention to the objects A and B in the this into an animation and add sound. (crum- that it is. Segments to 36 and click on OK. Go to one Sphere, Cylinder and Sphere-Cylinder. click OK, the requester should then reappear. boolean requester. If you have them the other pling paper anybody?). Anyway onward. The of the side views (XY or ZY) and zoom in so Delete all but the Sphere-Cylinder (ignore the Now click on Cover Surfaces and in the sub- way around to what I have described you will Now lets make sure the texture is correctly paper now fills the window, even overlaps a that the sphere very nearly fills the window, camera) by clicking on them in the left list sequent requester click on the two check get a different result. You should then Merge applied, in the Texture Bar select the Square bit. Lets move it up just so that some of our or right select Active Object from the Magnify then clicking Delete on the left. A quick boxes labelled Round and click OK. Now and Optimise (Extra/Structure menu) the and Chequer Board icons. Time for a quick nice table top spent so long on can actually icon pop-up. Now click on the Points icon. Shaded Display (remember to select 1/1 Pict. choose Contour Select, in the contour select object this will reduce its size from about 62K render. If your paper texture doesn’t look right be seen. Click the Move button and make Hold down the Ctrl key and with the mouse resolution and a suitable screenmode again) window click on the first item in the right hand to 54k, well worth it. take a look at the Texture Problems box out. sure only the X and Z axes are selected then drag out a box to select all the points from render reveals that we now have a sort of list and then OK. Back to the extrude object Well... white wax... I don’t think so. Bring up drag in the window, so that we can see about the second row below halfway downwards. bulbous cup. requester click OK again. After a short time Ribbon the material manager and right click in it and 10 or 20 % of the table object below. These now, all turn white. Press the Del key the hole is defined. After a long while the rest Select Merge from the Extra/Structure sub- select new. Then right click on this new Next to the seal, but not quite the seal itself. to get rid of them. You are then left with an of the object arrives. If you click on Now for something a little more exciting. menu, this makes sure everything is just one material and select Edit. Click on Colour. Our seal has to have a ribbon, this bit should overly voluptuous millennium dome shape Perspective view you will see the large ex- Make sure the plane that is our piece of object rather than a top, bottom and sides Make the first or top colour 50%, the second be easy. You may find it easier to start a fresh (just for Gary). Then select all the points from truded “@” symbol, now choose Merge from paper is still selected and that the Object etc. Now click on the Points icon and go to 0% and the third 10%. On the boxes on the project. Make sure you save your work first and including the third row up from halfway to the Extra/Structure menu select merge. I icon is depressed. Then go to menu item the XZ top down view. Holding down the Ctrl right select shadow and 9.High. Then on the then close the perspective window. Now the tip. Now click the Scale button and Y axis strongly suggest that you save this object Tools/Crumple and use the default setting. key click and drag a box around a couple of selection boxes at the top click on High. choose New from the Project menu. Right, only and align all the points so that they form now. points around the circumference and one or Make sure Mode is set to Plastic. Then width Now what has happened is that half of the we need a single segment plane, which you a straight line in the side view. This gives us two of the ones closer to the centre. Make If you have trouble with this last and height set to 37 % and 16 % respec- intersecting points that make up our plane will be able to do now, won’t you? Once a flat top to our dome. Click on the MOVE TIP sure to leave the central “well” alone. If you section try using the Crillee font. (I tively. Now click OK and perhaps save again have been lowered and the other half have you’ve created it choose the Edit Points icon button, select the Y axis only again and move can manage to also hold down a shift key had some problems with C4D crashing after depending upon your confidence. While we been raised. But those that have been in the tool bar. Having pressed this your pre- this entire section down almost to the second you will be able to make a selection and then running CinemaFont, I found it helped if I have the wax selected set Smooth Object to lowered are now below our table top and the viously selected plane will have changed row of points. You should be left with some- add other points to it. We are using the CTRL saved as soon as the extruded “@” had been Yes in the Information window (we have to do others are above. A quick scanline render will colour and got dots at the four corners. Click thing looking like the screenshot: key to make sure that points in underneath imported, then closed the project and re- this again because the wax object with the @ confirm this. To overcome this switch to on the Move icon as we’re going to move one layers are also selected. With the move loaded it, Ed.) embossed is actually a new object). Save either XY or ZY view by pressing the appro- of the points, deselect the Y axis so we keep button selected and the Y axis unselected your wax project and close it. priate button in the tool bar. Zoom in by right our plane flat. Click on either of the bottom You now want the “@” object in the same drag the points away from the centre (note clicking on the magnifying glass icon and corner dots and drag out to about the same plane as the seal, it currently is at 90 degrees you must drag in a blank area (not on a Putting it all Together selecting Magnifying Glass from the pop-up, amount as the original height. Make sure that to it. So rotate it then either enlarge the wax point) to avoid selecting or deselecting more then drag a square around the table and one edge is straight following the black grid. or reduce the “@”, imagine you are going to Well I think we are, at last, at the stage where points). You are then left with a bunion on an paper objects. You can then see more clearly. Now create another plane and drag out the stamp the “@” into the wax so that it leaves we pull everything together and add the final otherwise perfect cup. By selecting other sets Now make sure that only Y is selected on the point in the same way but from the opposite its impression. Move the “@” so it is central in touch. of points in this bunion you can make it more axes section of the tool bar, Move should still bottom corner. It may look a little better if one the seal. This does not necessarily mean that round. Continue around the cup in this Now choose Open from the Project menu be selected so drag the sheet of paper up so “tail” is a little longer than the other. the axis will be aligned. Once you have fashion. Some “bunions” could be bigger, and load the table top and paper project. as to be slightly above the half way mark. moved and scaled the extruded “@” you taking four or five “in line” points around the Check that the paper is a smooth object as Then do another quick render just to confirm should be able to see an outline “@” symbol, perimeter. described above. Then use Project/Insert to that all is as it should be. I always do little this is called a path (it is not a solid object). load the wax and ribbon projects. If you renders like this as it is difficult to try and sort This needs to be deleted, it is actually made saved the table top and paper in their final problems out once the project is finished. out of two paths so select each one in Object layout then just resize and reposition the OK. You could leave your piece of paper as it mode by clicking on the centre of its axis other objects in the perspective window. The is. To try to make the paper look more (black dots at the bottom of the symbol) then Now click the Object button to bring us back wax needs to sit well into the paper but the authentic we can add a texture. Again make press Del. to our wire frame. Select Cylinder from ribbon needs to be just proud of the paper sure that the plane that is our sheet of paper Object/Primitives while holding shift down. If you have trouble selecting objects yet it must not be visible in the “hole” of the is selected and therefore drawn in white in Change Circle Segments to 24 and Radius to TIP press W on the keyboard to get a wax. Save this with a different name so as the perspective window. 75. Move the cylinder up in the Y axes to the list of objects in the project, click on the NOT to over write our previous hard work, just in case things go awry. Time for the ubiq- TIP It makes life easier if the objects are point where the bottom of the cylinder is object you want then press OK. Notice the named, making it easy to find them. about level with the first section of points in icons in the left hand column, the cube uitous quick render. Everything OK?.. Good. From the Edit menu select Object Manager the “dome”. Now for the tricky bit (Have you means an object, if you see a line with dots The finihsed ribbon object. Just one more little ditty to finish it off. Well if then click on Plane in the left hand list and saved?). on it this is a path. you’ve got C4D then you must have a version change the name in the bottom string gadget of PPaint. Load it up with the default settings Now you should have a rectangle with an Next align the “@” vertically so that it is also to Table, press Return. The other plane and find a nice medieval font by right clicking upside down V cut in the bottom. From the cuts the bottom of the “cup” section of the should be called Plane.1 change that to on the “a” in the left hand tool bar. I used the Edit menu choose Select/Group. Or more wax. Now select A-B from the Tools/Boolean Paper. Now close the Object Manager sapphire font in the larger of the two sizes. simply press G on the keyboard. The mouse Doctor, doctor my seal’s got bunions! menu. In Object A put the Sphere- Cylinder window. Then select a nice “ink” colour. I used bright pointer now changes to a cross hair, with this and in Object B put the “@” and click OK. red, I don’t think that was a wise choice. From the windows menu make sure that the click and drag out a square around both What you are trying to achieve is a sort of Half a minute latter you are left with another Anyway type in “http://seal.amiga.tm/” (Now Material Manager and Texture Bar windows objects. Similar to the Workbench multi-select paint splat effect. As paint is thinner than wax object this is called SPHERE-C-@, delete the http://www.seal-amiga.co.uk by the way, Ed.) are open (if they are you may need to bring operation. Now both objects are selected. you don’t want to go over the top. Try not to other objects as we did before. This object and cut this out as a brush. Leave the back- them to the front. Right click in the material From the Extra/Structure menu select Merge, make it too uniform. Finally select Information should be made up of the bottom section of ground colour as it is. Save this in the C4D window and select New to create a new tex- the two “tails” become one. A little fat I think. from the Window menu. Click on the lower textures drawer as Seal.Text. Now go back ture as we did before for the table. This time Click the Object button and then Scale, select right button in the Information window until into C4D. Rename the texture to Paper. Edit the texture just the X axis. Now trim a bit of weight off. Parameter is displayed. Then at top left set and choose a suitable image, I used Smooth Object to Yes then close the window. Reload your completed project and open that Apply a nice fabric texture, again C4D CD Textures/Roughcast01.tif. Drag the bottom This is a good time to save and perhaps do a materials window again. Hopefully for the last has an excellent range if you have the full CD colour slider down to 35% to get a light quick render. time, right click in the window and create a otherwise you could just choose a suitable papery texture then OK out of Edit Material. New material. Right click on that and rename colour. If the texture looks wrong when you Now for the really tricky bit. Go to the Now assign the Paper texture to the Paper it as “Text”. Edit it, in the material window you do a quick scanline render sort it out follow- Window menu and open the Object Bar. object (just Choose assign from the pop-up). The seal and cylinder objects will see that colour and shadow are ticked in ing the Texture Problems box out as we did From the Tools menu select Boolean/A-B. Right click the top left icon which looks a little the right hand column of buttons, also click TIP I may as well take this opportunity before. From the requester clickpositioned on Object for A andthe like and explosion, from the pop-up menu to say that there is usually more another requester popsBoolean up, select A-B operation.Sphere. select Cinema Font. I hope you have in- on genl. In the top left of the window just below the buttons it should say “Colour” in than one way of doing most things in C4D, a The Seal You may find this requester says Object stalled C4D properly. In the font file requester The “@” symbol vertically aligned bold writing, if it does not then click Colour in nice feature! To make certain that the paper Group in this case click on Object Group and select Isabelle.pfb from the Type-1-Fonts so it “cuts” into the wax object before object is assigned to the paper texture open So now onto the wax seal itself. Save the you will find the Sphere. Then click on Object drawer (this is within the CinemaFont drawer the button bank. All four sliders in this section the Object Manager or just press V on the ribbons and start a new project. Start with a B and select Cylinder. Click on all the OKs on CUCD 27) and click OK. Then on the key- the Boolean A-B operation. should be over to the left. i.e. 0%. In the tex- 36 CLUBBED - Issue 5 Spring 2000 37 SUPPORT SUPPORT

requester. This automatically sets the back- Now you’re ready for the big moment, the Keep Up-to-Date with the ground colour in the Genlock section just final render! For this choose Raytracing from above the texture section. The fourth slider the Render pop-up menu. In the settings Back Issues clubbed-announce should be set at about 10%. Your text should requester choose a suitable resolution and, if now be mapped onto a invisible sphere. Click you want to display the image while it is Issue 1* Mailing List Next OK. Select the paper in the perspective rendered, set a Screenmode. Now click • Piracy feature. window by pressing “W” on the keyboard and Render, in the Rendering progress requester • ImageFX 3 review. Clubbed now has its own Internet mail- Issue select it from the list, clicking OK once more. you can click Show frame to view the final • CyberStorm PPC ing list to keep connected readers better image as it renders. Once it has finished click What’s coming your way in issue 6 of Now for another tricky bit, right click on the review. informed about the magazine. The mail- Save frame to save the final image to a file Texture Axis icon it and just above the wavy ing list called clubbed-announce is Clubbed? (the format is set in the Raytracing settings • Genetic Species line it says paper or whatever you called your requester). review. hosted by the OneList service. texture that you are using for the paper. • Photogenics text effect Features Select generate new and paper or whatever That’s it! what else is there to say! Well lots We will post a minimum of one update tutorial. you used appears again. Back to your actually but I am running out of time. on the list per month but your mail box Acceleration!: materials manager window with your paper After our Graphics Cards feature in I must just say that the hardest part for me will not be flooded because this list can The final composition ready to render. object still selected the paper texture button originally was the “@” for the wax. C4D does Issue 2* only be posted to by the editor. issue two we look at the other vital in the materials manager should appear not seem to be able to cut holes successfully. addition for any Amiga system, a depressed the others stand proud. Click on • Graphics Cards ture section underneath click on the texture It is easier to use the Crillee font if you have processor accelerator. This feature your text texture and that becomes Explained. Plus a How To Join file requester and load in the seal.text that the C4D CD. I believe that this is because depressed. Then right click on it and select guide to A1200 gfx will cover all the types of accelerator you just created. After a short while the small C4D cuts the loop of the “a” better because Subscribing to the list is free, just send a assign. So what we have done is, assigned card options. available including the current and preview window just to the right of the texture there is a small gap at the bottom. This can blank EMail to: two textures to our paper. If you right click on forthcoming PPC cards. We look at section will contain your brush. You may be seen in Cinema Font. I originally used the • Round up of PPC the Texture Axis icon again and you should [email protected] have trouble recognising it as such but not to font option in Imagines spline editor and con- enhanced software. software compatibility and which have the paper and text textures listed above worry it’s there. You can also see a small verted it with Megacolon. I also found that • Directory Opus extra features and add-on modules that wavy line. If you have not it may be a Or go to the list page on the OneList representation in the top right corner. In the Cinema Font could better handle fonts which • Magellan II review. you might want to look out for. good idea to load in the table top and paper website, if you subscribe on the website button bank at the top click on Genlock, had been loaded into Typesmith (AFCD No.3) objects from earlier on. You can then practice • Interviews: Gary you will need to register (if you haven’t again load your texture in the same manner and simply re-saved as a type 1 font. If you this again as I know from experience that it is Peake & Fleecy Moss Reviews as you did for Colour. Observe the small can’t get hold of Imagine then try Pixel Pro. already for another list): fiddly to say the least. You did keep them • Workbench Cookbook: Get the most sphere top right, you can see your text Now this was on an AF disk long before CD- • Yamaha 8424 CD Writer. separate didn’t you? Finally add a light out of a 16 colour Workbench. www.onelist.com/community/ wrapped around this. Notice that the back- ROMs were a twinkle in my eye. Another source from the primitives menu and position clubbed-announce (all one line) • Netconnect 3 including the latest ground colour is the same as it was in program that is good for font conversion is a Issue 3 it toward the rear right and make it low and versions of Voyager and Metalweb. PPaint. Now to get rid of the background, PD proggy called Confont by Martin moody. When you’re happy with the scene be • Interview with Petro We hope the list will keep you better in- simply click on the background colour in the Hoffmann. You should be able to find this on • Scan-doubler and SVGA monitor sure to save the final version. Tyschtschenko. formed about Clubbed and encourage texture window to the right of the texture file Aminet. round-up. • Get Netted: Get your you to join. Amiga on the ‘net and If they arrive in time we hope to have By Roy Burton how to choose an ISP. Cinema 4D for Beginners reviews of: a blank material, its name becomes • Reviewed: CUCD 27 Useful Windows NetConnect, IBrowse, Join SEAL highlighted. Now choose Render from the If you live in or around Essex why not • Heretic II If you have problems installing from the cover Now to see whatever going on and to access Material menu, after a few seconds you’ll see AWeb, AmFTP and come along to a SEAL meeting? We’re a • ArtEffect 4 CD an updated installer is still available from tools via buttons we need to open some a small sphere rendered in the material. To WebVision and more. lively group who meet every other Friday • Amiga Writer 2 the CU Amiga WEB site: windows. Go to Window menu and open the see all the materials rendered choose • EMailer round up. Object Bar, Texture Bar, Point Bar and evening at Northlands Park Community http://www.cu-amiga.co.uk Materials/Render ALL, this could take a while • Candy Factory Pro - Review/Tutorial. Support Material Manager. if you have a number of materials. Centre in Basildon. We offer help, On starting the program for the first time you • Back to Basics: Beginners tutorial on Word Publishing Tutorial: Please note all these are available via the advice and demonstrations at meetings will be asked for various details and a serial the startup scripts. We guide you through creating an Pull Down Menus, but the button bars are an Rendering and someone is always available to lend number which is supplied with the easy reference while you learn about the To render a scene click on the Render button Issue 4* impressive poster combining text and commercial software. The serial number for a helping hand in between. Program. Now you have lots of windows over with your left mouse button, you have a • CD-ROM Explained graphics in the Final Writer. the CUCD 27 version should have been the screen so we need to do some tidying by choice of renders modes that start at once. • Amiga buy-out feature. If you decide to join membership costs printed in the magazine but unfortunately moving and re-sizing some of the windows. Back to Basics - Workbench: they were omitted. For some time Hisoft There are 6 render modes from • Interview with Fleecy £2.50 per month (or £25 if you pay Moss. yearly) and includes access to all Concentrating on the new OS3.5 would supply the serial number but they have Below is a Picture of my favourite lay out. Monochrome-Wireframe to Raytracing each Workbench we uncover many useful now stopped this service so there is no legal becoming progressively more detailed and • Reviewed: meetings, refreshments and 4 issues of Once you’re happy with the layout choose way to obtain it. thus taking longer to complete. Photogenics 4, tips and tricks which make it much Save Layout Prefs from the Project/Settings Clubbed a year. ImageFX 4, Olympus easier and quicker to use. Screenmodes menu and click OK, the layout is saved. If you select a render mode with your right For more information and directions to mouse button you get a number of rendering Camedia C1000L, the venue: Hard Drivin’: On entering the information the program Materials options/preferences for that mode. IBrowse 2.1, TZer0, The second part of this tutorial will starts and its default screen is Workbench. and many more. If you load a project and your materials seem Selecting a screenmode in the Screenmode Visit http://www.seal-amiga.co.uk explain how to get the best perfor- Now C4D needs at least a 256 colour screen • Back to Basics: DOSDrivers tutorial. to be blank you can see them by rendering section of the Render preferences will enable mance out of your existing hard so if you run workbench in less colours you • Using Layers in ImageFX 3+ and Telephone Mick Sutton on them. With your mouse pointer click once on you to see the render progress, but the drives. We will also cover how alter- need to tell it to open its own 256 colour Photogenics 4. (01268) 761429 (7 to 9pm) screen preferably at least 640 by 512, to do program can and will generate a 24bit IFF as native file systems and faster con- this we go to Project/Settings/Editor default even if you only display a 16 colour To Order Write To Mick Sutton screen mode. To change the size of the final trollers can speed up disk operations. Preferences menu item then click Please list the back issues you require 20 Roding Way picture in the General section of the render Plus all the latest news and more... Screenmode and highlight the screen you and send a cheque or postal order for Wickford want to use, e.g. PAL:High Res Laced at 256 prefs (this is normally top most) change:- £2.50 per issue to: Essex colours then press OK button. (Important if Pict. seq - Choose This Picture Clubbed Issue 6 you only have Workbench in the list then you Clubbed, 26 Wincoat Drive, Benfleet, SS12 9BB need to add the PAL monitor to your Resolution - select size or Manual if you want Essex, SS7 5AH. EMail [email protected] is planned for DEVS/MONITORS drawer in your System (or specific sizes that need to be put in the boxes to the Right. (You may need to restate the the appropriate driver)). * We only have limited stock of this August 2000 screenmode if the render fails with issue please telephone (01268 Now press the save button in the Editor ‘Sceenmode not available’). NOTE: This is a provisional contents list and subject to preferences, the screen mode should now 569937) to confirm availability. change without notice. change. Aspect Ratio - 4:3 or manual. 38 CLUBBED - Issue 5 Spring 2000 39 Wildfire 7PPC fxPaint Games Revolution get theraisededge. Border effectwasusedto channel. FinallytheButton alaised textasanalpha through usingtheanti- fxPaint) wasrubbed left. Thefractal(createdin Supernova effectonthe plug-in ontherightand effects includingthePyro cludes severalfxPaint This exampleimagein- Wildfire’s powerful effects can be can effects powerful Wildfire’s used to create stunning animated stunning create to used transitions between images.... between transitions Now Showing Genlock 3D Magnet Twirl Cinema 4D transitions are shown here applied here shown are transitions ...Three of the many example many the of ...Three to the same base images. base same the to Coming Soon... Heretic II Shogo SiN The end end The result of of result Cinema 4D 4D Cinema Robert Robert Tiffen’s Tiffen’s tutorial tutorial starts on on starts page 34. page which which